Player-coach Jen Wilson was “ecstatic” after Canterbury secured an immediate return to European action, though they suffered disappointment in the final of the Investec Championship play-offs on Sunday.

In a repeat of last year’s final, the city club suffered a 2-1 defeat against national Premier Division table-toppers Surbiton, who finished the season unbeaten and will take the top English place in next season’s Euro Hockey Club Champions Cup.

After finishing seventh of eight in the competition in Holland over Easter, Canterbury now face a wait until the end of May to find out whether they will join Surbiton in the elite group for a second straight year or drop to the secondary EuroHockey Trophy competition.

Wilson said: “We were absolutely ecstatic to get back into Europe. (The semi-final on) Saturday was the big game for us as we knew we’d be in Europe if we went through to play Surbiton, but once you get into a final you want to compete.

“It was important to get back as soon as possible. A lot of English teams have one-off seasons in Europe, then don’t get back for a couple of years. We are trying to establish ourselves.”

Canterbury believe a non-German victory in the EuroHockey Club Trophy in Minsk at the end of May would be enough to secure their European top-flight status next Easter.