Manx Hockey Association’s 2020-21 league campaign kicks off in earnest this weekend.

With only one week between the end of last season and the start of the new one, teams will be racing out of the blocks without any rustiness in what is a complete reset for Manx hockey.

Previously before Christmas players would be concentrating on mixed hockey, but this has changed with men’s and women’s hockey taking centre stage until February when there will be a shortened mixed season going forward.

Following an exciting finale to the previous campaign last weekend, the new 2020-2021 league season gets underway with some new sides entering the Men’s Premier League.

The division has gone from five teams to eight, with Bacchas B being promoted as champions of Division One and joined by Vikings B and Harlequins A.

All three newly-promoted sides open their season against well-established Premier League teams, with Bacchas B taking on Vikings A, Harlequins facing a tough fixture against Valkyrs A and Vikings B having probably the hardest challenge against champions Bacchas A.

If any of the new sides can get anything out of these games this weekend it would make a major dent on their opposition’s title hopes very early in the season.

The Rossborough Women’s Premier League has also expanded from six to eight teams, with Valkyrs B promoted as champions of Women’s Division One and Harlequins as runners-up. Both may find it difficult in this division but Valkyrs’ mean defence could help cause some upsets this year.

Ramsey A open their account with what may prove to be their toughest fixture of the year against champions Vikings A, while Castletown face a Valkyrs side not too far behind Vikings and Bacchas A tackle Saracens.

The Whites have benefitted from some good signings in the past week, such as Sophie Howland from Saracens and Rose Watkins.

This is in addition to the return of some former players from the UK including Cat Cox, Louise Corkhill, Zoe Brown and Sam Hassall which will mean a much stronger side that can potentially take the fight to both Vikings and Valkyrs.

Rossborough Men’s Division One also increases in size from six to nine teams with the whole of the second division being promoted into the new-look Division One.

Harlequins B face off against Ramsey B while there is an exciting interclub derby between Bacchas C and Bacchas Colts.

Saracens B take on Vikings C in what could be a close game between the two and Valkyrs B battle Castletown B in a game that should go the way of the westerners.

There is only one game this week in Women’s Division One which has also increased in size from five to seven sides.

The reduction in games is as a result of some Isle of Man junior teams travelling to Guernsey this weekend to take on their Channel Island counterparts.

Ramsey B go up against Vikings C in a fixture that saw Vikings win convincingly 15-0 across two games last season and there is no reason to doubt that this won’t happen again at this stage.