Newcastle Vikings’ men’s and women’s teams have both been drawn away against Reading in their first England Handball League Cup matches of the season. The Vikings teams will both travel to play the South West Regional Development League club at the Loddon Valley Leisure Centre on 4 March 2017.
Eight teams have entered the women’s League Cup this season. 2015 cup final runners-up and 2016 semi-finalists Newcastle Vikings will play Reading Lionesses in the first quarter-final round on 4 March 2017, with the winners going on to play either reigning champions London GD 2 or Brighton in the semi-final on the weekend of 22/23 April 2017. In the other half of the draw, Southampton take on the University of Leeds and Liverpool play Cranfield University.
Newcastle’s men have received a welcome bye in the first round, and with only six teams entering the competition this season it takes them straight through to the semi-finals. However, with the two clubs’ women’s teams also coincidentally being drawn against each other in the previous round, it has been agreed with the England Handball Association for the men’s cup match to be played on the same day as the women’s matches on 4 March 2017. The other semi-final in April will feature the winners of London GD 2 v University of Leeds and Ruislip’s West London Eagles 2 v CSW Coventry Sharks 2. If the Vikings men can beat Reading Lions they will reach their first cup final.
Both EHA League Cup finals are scheduled to now take place on the weekend of 13/14 May 2017.
The EHA National Cup, which involves all men’s Super 8 and women’s Super 7 top league and men’s Championship teams, plus a few other entries from the Regional Development Leagues, will culminate with its cup finals on 20 May 2017 at the Copper Box Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.