The Waterloo Ducks Hockey Club , also known as the Waterloo Ducks , is a Belgian professional field hockey club based in Waterloo , Walloon Brabant . Both the first men's and women's team play in the highest division of Belgian field hockey.
16-603: In 2019 they became the first Belgian club to win the Euro Hockey League by defeating Rot-Weiss Köln from Germany 4–0 in the final . Euro Hockey League The Euro Hockey League is an annual men's field hockey cup competition organized by the EHF for the very top field hockey clubs in Europe . The competition was launched at the start of the 2007-08 field hockey season when it merged and replaced
32-399: A total of six pool matches). The teams then go on to play classification matches based on their relative ranking from these pool matches to determine their final tournament position. In each pool, A, and B, all the teams play each other once, with points awarded as follows: Once the relative ranking of the teams in pools A and B is settled, the classification matches proceed as follows: If
48-673: Is based on the performance of all their clubs in the Euro Hockey League and EuroHockey Club Trophy . The total number of points won by clubs from each country is divided by the number of clubs to which the National Association was entitled in that year's competitions. Each qualifying National Association is required to enter their national champion club but is otherwise free to decide the system of qualification for their own clubs for any remaining places to which they are entitled that year. To be eligible to play in
64-576: The EHF for European hockey clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club competition, being one tier below the top men's European club competition the Euro Hockey League . In that sense, the ECT is hockey's equivalent of the UEFA Europa League . The tournament features 8 clubs from EHF member countries. Each year one of the 8 available league places is allocated to an EHF member country's national association. The clubs admitted are
80-587: The EuroHockey Club Challenge 1 , the EuroHockey Club Challenge 2, and so on. This structure is designed to give every EHF member nation the opportunity to enter their best clubs into European competition at an appropriate level, and through that exposure to improve the level of their domestic hockey. EuroHockey Club Trophy The EuroHockey Club Trophy I is an annual men's field hockey competition organised by
96-531: The EHL Ranking Table may enter three teams each in the Euro Hockey League, while National Associations ranked 4-6 may enter two teams each, and National Associations ranked 7-11 one team. National Associations rankings are derived from each country's results in the Euro Hockey League and EuroHockey Club Trophy over the previous 3 years, with the points in the earlier years discounted by 50% (year 2) and 75% (year 1). This ranking of National Associations
112-538: The Euro Hockey League a country must enter 2 clubs in the EHF club competitions. For the 2019–20 season the EHL moves to a new format with the removal of the round-robin tournament in round one. Instead, a knock-out format will be used from the start of the tournament. Round one will be replaced by the knockout 16 with four sides advancing to the quarter-finals, or Final 8 as it's called, on Easter . The Final8 will consist of
128-411: The champions from the top four nations on the EHL rankings table alongside the four sides that qualified from the knockout 16. This means that instead of a total of 24 teams from 12 associations there will be 20 teams from 11 associations. The much-improved presentation and packaging of the Euro Hockey League have attracted a number of high-profile sponsors, most notably Dutch bank ABN-AMRO , who are
144-408: The clubs of those nations who finished ranked third to sixth in the previous year's Trophy II; the clubs of those two nations from the previous year's Trophy I; plus the clubs of those two nations promoted from the previous year's Challenge I. The teams are separated into 2 pools of 4 teams. In each pool (pool A and B) the teams play one match against each of the other three teams in their pool (making
160-579: The level of their domestic hockey. From 1981 until 1989, the tournament was held once a year and the finalists' countries were promoted to the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup . Source From 1990 until 1993 the tournament was held twice a year and only the winner's countries were promoted to the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup. Source Because of the introduction of the EuroHockey Club Challenge ,
176-679: The men's EuroHockey Club Champions Cup (the champions competition) and the EuroHockey Cup Winners Cup (the Cup Winners' competition). Featuring many of the world's best players, the EHL is now seen as the pinnacle of club hockey in Europe (hockey's equivalent of the UEFA Champions League ) with top clubs from across the continent playing what many consider to be the most exciting and dynamic club hockey in
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#1732787525849192-482: The presenting sponsor of the tournament. Volvo and Intersport are also named sponsors of the Euro Hockey League, while partnerships have been formed with McGregor, ErmaSport, ATP - The Advanced Travel Partner and Dutch advertising agency Ideas for Brands. The Euro Hockey League is the top men's club competition in Europe. Below the Euro Hockey League is the EuroHockey Club Trophy , then below that
208-653: The score at the end of the regulation time of a classification match is a draw, then a shoot-out competition is played to establish a winner. Above the EuroHockey Club Trophy II is the EuroHockey Club Trophy I, and below it is the EuroHockey Club Challenge 1 , the EuroHockey Club Challenge 2, and so on. This structure is designed to give every EHF member nation the opportunity to enter their best clubs into European competition at an appropriate level, and through that exposure to improve
224-655: The tournament features 20 clubs from the 11 highest-ranked EHF member countries. Although the competition is called the Euro Hockey League, after round 1 the competition was a knock-out, rather than league format (similar to the UEFA Champions League in football). From the 2019–20 season onwards round one is also a knock-out format. From the 2019–20 season onwards each year the 20 available league places are allocated between 11 EHF member countries' National Associations , depending on those National Associations' EHF Club Ranking. National Associations ranked 1–3 in
240-430: The tournament went back to the old format from 1994 until 2002. Source From 2003 until 2007 there was no final but instead, there were two promotion play-offs and the winners were ranked joint first and the winner's countries were promoted. The final ranking was decided based on their record in the pools. Source In 2008 the tournament went back to its old format with a final but instead of two promotion places,
256-465: The world. The competition has been won by nine clubs, two of which have won it more than once. Bloemendaal is the most successful club in the tournament's history; having won it six times. In 2019, the Waterloo Ducks became the first Belgian club to win the tournament. Dutch clubs have the highest number of victories (9 wins), followed by Germany (5 wins). From the 2019–20 season onwards
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