Irish Hockey League (ladies' hockey)
The Irish Hockey League (sponsored by Ernst & Young and known as the EY Hockey League) is an all-Ireland ladies' hockey league. The competition began in a short group format in 2008–09 as the successor to the All-Ireland Club Championships, with the top teams from the provincial leagues taking part.[1] It was relaunched in 2015–16 as a full league competition comprising 18 rounds of fixtures, and with member clubs resigning from their provincial leagues to assume permanent membership.[2]
Format
Each team plays each other on a home-and-away basis, with three points awarded for a win and one for a draw. The team finishing in first place qualifies for Europe. The top three teams qualify for the Champions Trophy along with the winners of the Irish Senior Cup. If the winner of the Irish Senior Cup is also one of the top three, then the fourth-placed team also qualifies. The last-placed team is relegated to its home province's top division and replaced by the winner of the Provincial Play-offs (between the provincial league champions). The second-bottom enters a play-off with the runner-up in the Provincial Play-offs.[3]
Members 2016-17
- Ards
- Belfast Harlequins
- Cork Harlequins
- Monkstown/Hermes
- Loreto
- Pegasus
- Pembroke Wanderers
- Railway Union
- Ulster Elks
- UCD
Past winners
Source: Irish Hockey Association
Group format
- 2008-09 Loreto
- 2009-10 Railway Union
- 2010-11 Pegasus
- 2011-12 Railway Union
- 2012-13 Railway Union
- 2013-15 UCD
- 2014-15 Pegasus
League format
- 2015-16 Hermes
Relegated and promoted
| Year | Relegated to provincial leagues | Promoted from provincial leagues |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | Greenfields UCC | Belfast Harlequins Loreto |
Champions Trophy winners
- 2015-16 Hermes[4]