Following consultation with players, clubs, officials, and the wider hockey community, England Hockey will be updating the terminology used to describe our playing categories. From the 2025/26 season, the current ‘Men’s’ category will be renamed to ‘Open/Men’ at adult level and ‘Open/Boys’ at junior level. The Women’s category will remain unchanged.
This update is informed by feedback from our recent survey, in which:
- 47% of respondents favoured the term ‘Open’ to describe an inclusive category
- A further 17.7% expressed no strong preference
- 31% supported retaining reference to ‘men’ or ‘male’
The updated naming aims to:
- Reflect the inclusive intent of the category, while acknowledging the traditional association with men’s hockey
- Create consistency between adult and junior competitions (‘Open/Men’ and ‘Open/Boys’)
- Lead with the word ‘Open’, which was most strongly supported and reflects the evolving nature of participation
- Allow space for further evolution, recognising that language and understanding may continue to develop
For clarity: club team names will not be affected by this terminology change and will remain at the discretion of individual clubs.
We recognise this is a complex and emotive area, and we thank everyone who contributed their views. England Hockey remains committed to ensuring our sport is safe, inclusive, and welcoming for all.
Transgender and Non-Binary Participation Policy - Information Sessions
To support the implementation of the policy, we will be running a series of online information sessions via Zoom. These sessions are designed for umpires, officials, welfare officers, club chairs, coaches, and club captains.
If you have questions not already addressed in the existing FAQs, please submit them in advance to trans.policy@englandhockey.co.uk
Please sign up here:
