The women’s and men’s squads have been announced for Great Britain’s FIH Pro League matches at home to Germany and Australia this weekend.
World Goalkeeper of the Year Maddie Hinch is included and is set for her first international hockey since last summer’s Vitality Hockey Hockey Women’s World Cup.
Susannah Townsend is back after injury kept her out of the last games against Belgium and the Netherlands, while young Esme Burge is in line for her international debut. Burge plays for University of Nottingham and was the youngest player in England’s squad at the Junior Hockey World Cup in 2016.
For the men there is one change, Ollie Willars replacing fellow defender Luke Taylor.
There are a number of milestones across the weekend, with men’s captain Adam Dixon set to play his 250th game for Great Britain and England combined, a very significant achievement for the Beeston man. Under his captaincy the men’s team have made encouraging progress, highlighted again with a super 3-1 win away to the Netherlands last weekend.
For the women, Townsend will reach 150 caps if she plays in both matches, while Jo Hunter will make her 50th combined international appearance if she faces both Germany and Australia.
Women’s squad:
Giselle Ansley (Surbiton) (ENG)
Grace Balsdon (Canterbury) (ENG)
Esme Burge (University of Nottingham) (ENG)
Amy Costello (University of Birmingham) (SCO)
Emily Defroand (Surbiton) (ENG)
Sarah Evans (Surbiton) (ENG)
Maddie Hinch (Stichtsche) (ENG) (GK)
Tess Howard (Durham University) (ENG)
Jo Hunter (Surbiton) (ENG)
Sarah Jones (Holcombe) (WAL)
Hannah Martin (Surbiton) (ENG)
Lizzie Neal (Loughborough Students) (ENG)
Hollie Pearne-Webb (Surbiton) (ENG) (C)
Izzy Petter (Surbiton) (ENG)
Suzy Petty (Wimbledon) (ENG)
Sarah Robertson (Hampstead & Westminster) (SCO)
Amy Tennant (Reading) (ENG) (GK)
Anna Toman (Wimbledon) (ENG)
Susannah Townsend (Canterbury) (ENG)
Laura Unsworth (East Grinstead) (ENG)
Men’s squad:
David Ames (Holcombe) (ENG)
Will Calnan (Hampstead & Westminster) (ENG)
David Condon (East Grinstead) (ENG)
Brendan Creed (Surbiton) (ENG)
Adam Dixon (Beeston) (ENG) (C)
Alan Forsyth (Surbiton) (SCO)
James Gall (Surbiton) (ENG)
Harry Gibson (Surbiton) (ENG) (GK)
Chris Griffiths (East Grinstead) (ENG)
Mikey Hoare (Wimbledon) (ENG)
Harry Martin (Hampstead & Westminster) (ENG)
George Pinner (Holcombe) (ENG) (GK)
Phil Roper (Wimbledon) (ENG)
Ian Sloan (Wimbledon) (ENG)
Tom Sorsby (Surbiton) (ENG)
Zach Wallace (Surbiton) (ENG)
Jack Waller (Wimbledon) (ENG)
Sam Ward (Old Georgians) (ENG)
Henry Weir (Wimbledon) (ENG)
Ollie Willars (Beeston) (ENG)
Fixtures
All at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre and live on BT Sport.
Thu 6 Jun
Great Britain men vs Germany, 7:30pm
Fri 7 Jun
Great Britain women vs Germany 7:30pm
Sun 9 Jun
Great Britain women vs Australia, 2pm
Great Britain men vs Australia, 4pm
Tickets for the Germany games are available online in advance by clicking here or in person at the venue. The Australia matches are sold out.
Standings
Britain’s men’s games could play a significant part in the team’s chances of finishing in the top four in this year’s league. Danny Kerry’s side are currently third in the table, and face a German side who are sixth before the table-topping Australians come to town.
Britain’s women currently reside in seventh, and will be looking for positive results against the fifth-placed Germans then the third-placed Australians.
Twickenham Stoop draws closer
The final day of our FIH Pro League season will take place at the near 15,000-capacity Twickenham Stoop, home of Harlequins. The final day’s matches against New Zealand on Sunday 23 June 2019 will be at Quins’ stadium, using ground-breaking technology that will see an artificial pitch laid on top of the existing grass surface.
Tickets are on sale now, and moving venue means that more than twice as many supporters will now be able to see our national teams in action on this day, when Great Britain’s men’s and women’s teams take on New Zealand back-to-back at the conclusion of the first ever FIH Pro League campaign. Tickets start at £11 for Under 18s and £34 for adults. One ticket includes access to both the women’s and men’s matches, so it is great value to see our teams, including the current Olympic champions. Click here for details.
Courtesy of GB Hockey
