MEMBERS of Worcester Hockey Club will entertain 34 players from SSG Bensheim Hockey Club in a hockey festival.

The fun-filled festival, which is being held at the University of Worcester, runs for five days which takes place from Thursday, July 30 to Monday, August 3.

The exchange visits between Worcester Hockey Club and SSG Bensheim have been taking place annually since Easter 2009.

To help fund the event, Worcester Hockey Club held to bag-packing fundraisers at Tesco St. Peter’s and ASDA which raised £1400.

This year, 70 members from Worcester Hockey Club aged between ten and 18 years old will be taking part.

The festival consists of 16 competitive hockey fixtures - two trophy matches on Sunday, social activities including outdoor and adventurous fun at Top Barn Farm, Worcester Porcelain and Cathedral tours.

There will also be a chance to enjoy wine tasting at Coddington Vineyard and a party night and barbecue at Worcester Golf and Country Club.

The boys will be looking to wrestle the Bergstrassen Cup from the hands of the German boys after their dominant performances in Bensheim last Easter while the girls will be looking to retain their trophy won in 2014.

There will also be a Die Alten - the old-folks - game on Sunday afternoon where some of the Bensheim and Worcester parents, hosts, siblings and umpires will have their chance to shine on the University of Worcester’s astro pitch.

Worcester Hockey Club is a major sports club in the city and the festival provides a brilliant opportunity to build up sporting, social and cultural friendships between the nations.

For further information, visit the Worcester Hockey Clubs website at worcesterhockey.co.uk