CANTERBURY Ladies hockey team will face their biggest weekend of the season as they bid to win the ‘Super Cup’ and the chance to represent England in next year’s European Club Championships.

The new "round-robin" format involving the top four Premier Division clubs is being used for the first time, and being hosted by Guildford Hockey Club at Broadwater School in Farncombe near Godalming.

Canterbury, who finished the season in third spot, start against second placed Ipswich on Saturday (11am), play champions and Cup winners Leicester, the following day (3pm), and then face Chelmsford on Monday (10am).

Skipper Mel Clewlow said: "It promises to quite an interesting weekend. Our record against the three other teams this season is not very good, and it’s nice to get another chance to have a go at them. We have been training a lot better and playing better recently, and hope things will come right for us.

"Amy Tran has been training with the American squad, Jenny Wilson has played a four test series for South Africa against Argentina, and I have been working with England, and all of us have come back and carried on where we left off. The others are doing well and playing to the best of their ability."

Canterbury pipped Chelmsford to third spot on goal difference and means they open the tournament against Ipswich.

Clewlow said: "We have struggled to score goals against all three sides, and have always found their goalkeeper Becky Duggan difficult to get past. She’s six foot tall, and that is big in the women’s game. Leicester are chasing the domestic treble, and in Helen Richardson have probably one of the best centre halves in the country. Defensively though they are weak, and it is probably their front six that keep them going.

Clewlow added: "We have lost two and drawn one against Chelmsford, and their goalkeeper Katy Roberts will probably get my vote as player-of the year."