Carlisle Hockey Club are gearing up for the new season.

With the Ladies’ 1st XI preparing for life in North West Division Two (North West) after promotion last season, the men’s side will also be playing in North West Division Three (North) while the Ladies’ 2nd XI will compete in a Cumbria Women’s League.

Training ahead of the new season, which is due to begin next month, started at Austin Friars School last Tuesday and continued yesterday.

New men’s first team captain Mark Nixon said: “We have had a couple of new members down and, slowly but surely, we are getting there.”

In the build-up to the new campaign, the men’s team will face Hexham-based outfit Tynedale and Keswick’s 2nd XI.

The club will also be holding a charity match, in aid of the OddBalls Foundation this month.

Taking place at Austin Friars on August 28, the game will start at 12pm.

Nixon said: “We have got quite a few people, hopefully, coming along. We are still in the planning stages but it seems to be going really well.”

For more information about Carlisle Hockey Club, the club can be found on Facebook and Twitter.