In boxing there is the Ali Shuffle, in football it’s the Cruyff Turn… and in the ladies’ section of Cheltenham Hockey Club it’s the Chaz Wobble.

While Muhammad Ali and Johan Cruyff are legends in the world of sport, Charli Roberts, the architect of the Chaz Wobble, has become a key player at a club that has been home to her for the past six years.

So, what is the Chaz Wobble?

“It’s a bit of stick skill I use when I play up front,” she laughed. “It works most of the time!”

Cheltenham will be hoping that Roberts, who is in her first season as captain of the club, can use it to good effect in the current campaign.

Normally a midfielder, the 28-year-old can play up front when needed – she describes herself as a “utility player” – and certainly has an eye for goal having scored a hat-trick in one game last season.

Her team-mates will be hoping that she retains her goal threat over the next few months because the club have big ambitions this time around.

“Promotion to the National League is the aim this season,” said Roberts. “We got relegated a couple of years ago and finished second in the first season and fifth last season when we were rebuilding.”

A poor start to last season’s campaign in the Premiership of the West Clubs Women’s Hockey League cost them and Roberts wants the club to be up with the pacesetters in the early weeks of the season this time around.

Roberts, along with her two vice-captains Emily Hobbs and Alice Shea, will obviously have a big role to play, so what made her decide to take on the role of captain?

“Rachel Owen had been our captain for quite a few years and when she decided to stand down, I thought it was probably the right time to step up,” said Roberts. “I’d captained the first team at the University of Gloucestershire when I was a student there and as one of the experienced players in the side it was just something I wanted to do.

“I know I’ve got some big boots to fill because Rach did a great job as captain for five years but I am really excited about this season and I've got a whole team around me that are committed to reaching our aim.

“It's not down to one person and the support and team spirit we have on and off the pitch reflect their positive and ambitious characters."

That team includes coach and former first team men’s player Simon Padley and his assistant Tom Cole and Roberts, who also played in the National League when she was a player with Worcester, reckons the current crop at Cheltenham are good enough to take them back up to a level where they feel they belong.

“We’ve got a pretty good team,” said Roberts. "The back line is a force to be reckoned with and Emma Jones controlled the midfield superbly last season. But it will be a team effort and no one person will win a game. We like to play a fast game and move the ball quickly and it needs everyone to support each other.”

Roberts started playing hockey at the age of six in Worcester and describes herself as a good distributor and someone who likes to get the ball up the pitch quickly.

She knows promotion won’t be easily achieved this season – only one team go up from the division – but takes confidence from the fact that she will be going into battle with her younger sister Philly alongside in the midfield engine room.

“We’ve pretty much played together for 20 years,” said Roberts. “She’s 26 and got a great hit on her. She is known as Big Phil for her big hit.”

The Chaz Wobble and Big Phil – it sounds a bit like a comedy double act… but Cheltenham are deadly serious about their promotion aims this season.