Four players capped at senior international level have been included, with Olympic bronze medallists Fiona Crackles and Izzy Petter in the squad alongside Alex Malzer, who played twice for Great Britain in 2019, and Sophie Hamilton, who featured in four matches for Great Britain in late 2020.

Sophie’s twin sister Olivia will captain England at the tournament, where she will be joined by fellow Loughborough Students defender Lorna Mackenzie.

Mackenzie is one of five players who helped the country qualify for this event back at the 2019 Junior EuroHockey Championships, with Team Bath Buccs forward Vicki McCabe another.

Alongside Sophie Hamilton, Darcy Bourne is one of two Surbiton players selected while East Grinstead also have two representatives in goalkeeper Mila Welch and Malzer.

Both the University of Birmingham and the University of Nottingham have three athletes in the squad, with those from the former being Millie Giglio, Evie Wood and Lily Walker. Maddie Axford – currently the top goalscorer across the Vitality Women’s Hockey Leagues with 11 goals – has been pivotal to Nottingham’s fine start to the season in the Vitality Women’s Division One North and is joined by Sally Sime and Katie Curtis.

The University of Exeter also boast two players in Ella Burnley and Martha Taylor while Georgie Gardens – who plays for Harleston Magpies and Framlingham College – is the youngest athlete selected. Millie Atwell and Claudia Swain will be the travelling reserves.

England have been drawn in Group B of the tournament in Potchefstroom alongside Belgium – who they drew with at the Junior Europeans two years ago – as well as Canada and Uruguay, who finished first and second respectively in the Junior Pan Am Championships earlier this year.

The squad will be coached by Great Britain Elite Development Programme (EDP) head coach Simon Letchford.

After finishing seventh at the last edition in 2016, this group will be hoping to improve on that and claim a maiden podium placing this time round after narrowly missing out in fourth in 2009 and 2013.

Squad

• Maddie Axford – University of Nottingham
• Darcy Bourne – Surbiton/Duke University
• Ella Burnley – University of Exeter
• Fiona Crackles – Wimbledon
• Katie Curtis – University of Nottingham
• Millie Giglio – University of Birmingham
• Olivia Hamilton – Loughborough Students
• Sophie Hamilton – Surbiton/UCONN
• Georgie Gardens – Harleston Magpies/Framlingham College
• Lorna Mackenzie – Loughborough Students
• Alexandra Malzer – East Grinstead
• Vicki McCabe – Team Bath Buccs/Bath University
• Izzy Petter – Loughborough Students
• Sally Sime – University of Nottingham
• Martha Taylor – University of Exeter
• Lily Walker – University of Birmingham
• Mila Welch (GK) – East Grinstead
• Evie Wood (GK) – University of Birmingham

Travelling reserves

• Millie Attwell – University of Birmingham
• Claudia Swan – Repton/Repton School

Fixtures

• Belgium v England (Pool B) – 5 December 2021, 13:00 GMT
• England v Canada (Pool B) – 6 December 2021, 15:00 GMT
• England v Uruguay (Pool B) – 8 December 2021, 13:30 GMT
• Quarter-Finals – 12 December 2021
• Semi-Finals – 14 December 2021
• Final – 16 December 2021

With thanks to England Hockey

University of Bath Sports Performance student Paige Reed, supported by a Santander Sports Scholarship, started all three matches alongside Blue and Gold team-mates Tash Pavelin – who studies Natural Sciences – and Abi Robson.

Shona O’Dywer was also in the starting seven for the 78-23 victory over Northern Ireland that got England off to an excellent start in the round-robin competition.

The Young Roses then recorded a 65-26 win over a Wales side coached by Team Bath U19 NPL coach Natalie Peperell and featuring Blue and Gold duo Izzy Dunsford and Sarah Llewelyn, who was named as Player of the Tournament.

England wrapped up a fine weekend by beating host nation Scotland 68-31 to retain the title.

While one England U21 squad was competing in Glasgow, another was warming up for this summer’s Netball World Youth Cup in Botswana by taking part in a Preparation Tour.

The squad – coached by Team Bath’s Emily Perry and Denise Ellis, and featuring Superleague stars Imogen Allison and Jess Shaw – did some of their training at the University of Bath, including a practice match against Team Bath’s senior players.

Team Bath’s U21s now turn their attention back to the Netball Performance League (NPL), with their final match of the inaugural season taking place at Team Northumbria on Saturday.

Report courtesy of the Team Bath Press Office at Matchtight.