- Head Coach Danny Kerry names a squad of 20 athletes to play the Netherlands in two matches
- Laura Unsworth, Lily Owsley and Alex Danson all return from injury
- Series forms the next stage of preparation ahead of Hockey Champions Trophy later this month
- The two teams will also go head to head at the Hockey Champions Trophy on Sunday 19 June. You can find ticketing details here.
Hannah Macleod (Photo: Simon Parker)
Danny Kerry, Great Britain Head Coach has named the 20 athletes who will travel to the Netherlands for two test matches against the World Champions this coming week. The matches will both take place at Athena Hockey Club, Amsterdam as both sides step up their preparations for the Hockey Champions Trophy and the Olympics.
The team depart today (30 May) with the first match of the series at 19:00 local time on 31 May and match two set for 1930 local time on 2 June.
There are returns to the squad for Laura Unsworth, Lily Owsley and Alex Danson who have all overcome recent injuries to take their places in the group.
There are some potential milestones for a number of players with St Albans forward Hannah Macleod in line to win her 50th cap for Great Britain. The Olympic Bronze medallist currently has 49 Great Britain appearances to her name. Defender Sam Quek is poised to win her 100th international cap (currently she has 99) whilst Captain Kate Richardson-Walsh needs just one goal to bring up her half century in international hockey.
Alex Danson returns after injury (Photo: Ravi Ghowry)
The Netherlands, Coached by Alyson Annan are the current World and Olympic Champions and the FIH World No1 side. They are expected to have a squad of 24 players to choose from as they build towards the Hockey Champions Trophy where the two sides will meet again on 19 June.
Ahead of the series, Great Britain Coach Danny Kerry said:
“It is good to have Laura Unsworth, Alex Danson and Lily Owsley back after long periods of injury. It will be good to have competitive match play to help bring them up to match speed.”
“We will be using the two matches to look at two to three different combinations as we fine tune preparations for the Champions Trophy. The women have been excellent in their preparation for many months now and we’re looking forward to testing that against the number one ranked team in the world on their home soil.”
Full Squad for Netherland matches:
| Name | Club |
| Giselle Ansley | Surbiton |
| Sophie Bray | East Grinstead |
| Crista Cullen | No Club |
| Alex Danson | Reading |
| Maddie Hinch (GK) | Holcombe |
| Joie Leigh | Clifton |
| Kirsty Mackay (GK) | East Grinstead |
| Hannah Macleod | St Albans |
| Emily Maguire | Holcombe |
| Shona McCallin | Holcombe |
| Lily Owsley | University of Birmingham |
| Sam Quek | Holcombe |
| Helen Richardson-Walsh | Reading |
| Kate Richardson-Walsh | Reading |
| Susannah Townsend | Canterbury |
| Georgie Twigg | Surbiton |
| Laura Unsworth | East Grinstead |
| Ellie Watton | St Albans |
| Hollie Webb | Surbiton |
| Nicola White | Holcombe |
