Dutch company Rabobank to partner 2015 EuroHockey Championships

Rabobank have been announced as a partner of the 2015 EuroHockey Championships ©England Hockey

England Hockey and the European Hockey Federation (EHF) have announced Dutch financial services company Rabobank will be a partner of the 2015 Unibet EuroHockey Championships, due to take place on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London next month.

Rabobank have a strong involvement with the sport having been the title sponsor of last year’s Hockey World Cup in The Hague.

“Following our recent announcement of a title sponsor, it is fantastic to see another well-known brand join the event,” Unibet EuroHockey Championships 2015 Stakeholder Board chair Andy Tapley said.

“Rabobank has been the number one commercial supporter of Dutch hockey and it is fitting that they will be part of an event, where the talented Dutch teams will no doubt provide great entertainment.”

EHF President Marijke Fleuren also praised the deal, claiming having a company such as Rabobank associated with the tournament is “a clear signal of how valuable our brand is”.

“I am happy that Rabobank will join England Hockey and ourselves in the Unibet EuroHockey Championships,” he added.

“We wish them a very warm welcome.”

Germany will be looking to defend both their men's and women's titles at the 2015 EuroHockey Championships ©Getty Images

The announcement comes after England Hockey opted to expand the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, a venue that was used for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, following high demand for tickets for the EuroHockey Championships.

Additional seats have gone on sale, with the finals, scheduled for the weekend of August 29 and 30, close to selling out.

The event itself, due to begin on August 21, sees the continent’s top teams battle it out for the right to become European champions, with 40 matches scheduled over 10 days.

Eight men’s and women’s sides have been entered into the event, with hosts England competing along with Spain, Ireland, Russia, France, Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands in the men's tournament.

The women’s competition features England, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Scotland, Italy and Poland.

Germany come into the tournament looking to defend both men’s and women’s crowns, with their toughest test expected to come from the Dutch outfits.

Their men took the title with a 3-1 win over Belgium at the 2013 event, while the women were involved in a thrilling 4-4 draw with England before triumphing 2-0 on penalties.