For the first time since 2010, the England Hockey Super 6s Finals Day will move from London after Derby Arena was revealed as venue host for the 2024 edition.
The event, known as Hockey’s Big Day In, returns on Jan 28 and will be the culmination of two weekends of qualifying across the men’s and women’s Premier Divisions. It had been held at the Copper Box since 2017/18.
Opened in 2015, Derby Arena is located on Derby’s Pride Park next to the Derby County Football Club. The last time the Super 6s Finals were played outside of London was in 2010 when Nottingham hosted the event.
England Hockey Sport and Development Director, Rich Beer, said: “We’re really pleased to be taking the Super 6s Finals Day to a new venue, Derby Arena, that provides us with a fantastic opportunity to take the Super 6s to fans around the country.
“We know there has been a desire for national events to move location and we worked hard to find a venue that not only provided the right environment for the event but was easily accessible by both road and train. I hope the hockey community will be as excited by this new venue as we are, and we look forward to seeing you there in January.”
Councillor Baggy Shanker, Leader of Derby City Council, said: “We’re delighted to welcome the England Hockey Super 6s Finals to Derby for the first time.
“Derby Arena is a world-class venue which is perfect for an event like this, and we look forward to welcoming hockey fans to the city. It will also be a fantastic opportunity for local people to enjoy what promises to be a thrilling day of sport.”
Shout out to Indoor Hockey UK here. Their annual Derby Arena event has unlocked this venue for indoor hockey. EH would do well to pick IHUK brains for their years of experience.