READING Men will be facing one of their former stars when they continue their defence of the England Hockey Cup at Sonning Lane on Sunday (2.30pm).

Their third-round opponents are Oxford Hawks, whose player-coach is Andy Watts, a cup winner when he previously held the same roles with the Blues.

This will be a tough tie for the holders as neither of their GB internationals, Liam Sanford and Lee Morton, are available due to the FIH Pro League. They are not expected to be available to the club until early March.

While Reading lie sixth in the Premier Division, Oxford occupy fifth place in Conference West.

Watts is their leading scorer with 11 goals from nine games, the joint second highest in their division.

"We are looking forward to welcoming Andy back to the club," said Blues team manager Tim Hamilton, whose side defeated Conference East strugglers Richmond 2-1 in a friendly game last weekend.

They resume their league fixtures a week on Sunday, February 10, when Sevenoaks will be the visitors to Sonning Lane.

Reading Women are back in league action this coming Saturday (1.30pm) when they host Exe and will be seeking their second Conference West win of the season against a side still awaiting their first victory.

The Blues have added 16-year-old Elizabeth Smith to their league squad.