England Hockey has announced the England women’s squad for the forthcoming Investec Challenge taking place in Cape Town, South Africa, next month. The week-long tournament will provide eight of the 18 athlete squad with their first taste of senior international hockey as they take to the pitch at the Hartleyvale Stadium against Olympic gold medallists the Netherlands, Australia and hosts South Africa.
Providing the experience in England’s ranks will be two member of the Great Britain squad that won bronze at the London 2012 Olympic Games; Laura Unsworth and Nicola White. Pinoke’s Beckie Herbert – three international caps short of a century - and Reading pair Susie Gilbert and Sam Quek will also provide a more experienced core. Of the other athletes selected, goalkeepers Maddie Hinch of Leicester and Kirsty Mackay of Bowdon Hightown, and Canterbury pair Dilly Newton and Susannah Townsend (pictured above, on the left) were involved in the Great Britain training squad leading up to last summer’s Olympics.
Gilbert and Unsworth, who will face each other in the final of the Maxifuel Super Sixes at Wembley Arena the day before departing for Cape Town, have been named co-captains for the Investec Challenge.
Of the newcomers, four have made the step up from the successful England U21 women’s squad that won the bronze medal at the Junior EuroHockey Nations Championships last year. Loughborough Students’ Giselle Ansley, Surbiton’s Sarah Haycroft (pictured above on the right), Leicester’s Jo Hunter and Clifton’s Joanna Leigh all play their club hockey in the Investec Women’s Hockey League and were part of the side that overcame Germany in their last game for the Under 21s in August.
Beeston pair Hollie Webb and Ellie Watton, University of Durham’s Steph Elliot, former University of Birmingham athlete Sophie Bray and Lauren Turner of HDM (Netherlands), formerly of Leicester, make up the 18.
England will face the hosts South Africa in their opening match on Monday 4 February before taking on the Dutch the following evening. An ‘ashes’ clash with Australia rounds off England’s group matches on Thursday 7th, with semi finals and medal matches following.
The group will be led by Karen Brown, England’s most capped hockey player of all time. She has served as Assistant Coach to the England and Great Britain women’s squad since 2006. Following Danny Kerry’s promotion to Performance Director and Assistant Coach Craig Parnham’s recent appointment as Head Coach of the USA, Brown will be joined on the trip by coaches Craig Keegan, the England U21 women’s coach, and David Ralph, Director of Hockey at Loughborough University. Ralph previously held the role of Head Coach to the England U21 men’s squad.
Speaking as the squad was announced, Brown said: “It’s a great opportunity for us to look at new players for the next Olympic cycle, as well as providing an opportunity for some players who just missed out on Olympic selection. The high quality opposition will mean a steep learning curve and with so many established internationals missing I will be interested in which athletes step up and show leadership, and who relishes the extra responsibilities they will have to take on both on and off the pitch.”
England will depart for Cape Town on Monday 28 January and will play a couple of uncapped practice matches before the tournament commences on Monday 4 February.
Investec Challenge Fixtures Monday 4 February 18:00 local time - 16:00 GMT - Australia v Netherlands 20:00 local time - 18:00 GMT - South Africa v England Tuesday 5 February 18:00 local time - 16:00 GMT - Netherlands v England 20:00 local time - 18:00 GMT - South Africa v Australia Wednesday 6 February - Rest Day Thursday 7 February 18:00 local time - 16:00 GMT - Australia v England 20:00 local time - 18:00 GMT - South Africa v Netherlands Friday 8 February - Rest Day Saturday 9 February 15:00 local time - 13:00 GMT - Semi Final 1: 1st v 4th 17:00 local time - 15:00 GMT - Semi Final 2: 2nd v 3rd Sunday 10 February 12:00 local time - 10:00 GMT - Bronze medal match 14:00 local time - 12:00 GMT - Gold medal match
