Scotland women’s squad selected for EuroHockey Championships
The Scotland women’s squad has been announced for the EuroHockey Championships in Monchengladbach, Germany, on 18-26 August.
Scotland qualified after winning the qualifiers in Dunkirk in 2022, with three wins from three, and will again take their place at Europe’s top stage, after competing in the tournament in 2021.
Host nation, Germany, will be Scotland’s first opponents of the tournament when they go toe-to-toe on Friday 18 August at 19:30, in front of a full house. The following evening Scotland face Ireland at 20:15, before they play England on Tuesday 22 August at 12:30 to complete their action in Pool B.
The crossovers will then take place to determine the final placings with the top six teams securing qualification for the tournament in 2015, and the bottom two entering qualifiers in 2024.
Katie Robertson will captain a squad that blends experience and emerging talent, and will see eight players compete at the EuroHockey Championships for the first time. Sarah Robertson misses the tournament through injury, while Amy Gibson takes on the vice-captain role.
As well as an excellent series away to England, and two wins over Czech Rep in Edinburgh, the Scots have played successful competitive test series’ already this year against Ireland and Wales, as well as matches against World number three ranked Australia, and top ten ranked China.
Head Coach Chris Duncan said, “We have made enormous strides as a group in the last 18 months, both on and off the pitch, and our performances last summer were testament to the style of play and approach we want to be known for moving forward. The work done since securing our place from the European Qualifier last August has allowed us to go into greater depth of detail on the technical elements of our game, and skillset to try and make further strides in our ability to perform consistently against top sides.
“We know how tough it is to play amongst Europe’s elite, but we are ambitious about our long-term goals, and our short-term objectives, so are looking forward to the challenges ahead in Germany. Most important to us, is staying committed to our philosophy, and how we can cause problems for the excellent sides that we will play.
“This is very much a team selection that can compete here and now, but also a nod to the future. Eight players will experience the EuroHockey Championships for the first time, and with 11 players 25-years-old or younger, there is great longevity in this group. We are naturally disappointed to not be able to include our captain Sarah Robertson, who is recovering from injury; she will be an enormous loss, both on and off the pitch for us, but Katie Robertson will be a phenomenal captain of the side and will be ably assisted by Amy Gibson as vice-captain.
“The secret to success in sport is the depth of your squad, and the collective effort of each and every one of our squad has set us up to represent with pride.
“Our group is challenging, but opening the tournament against the host-side in front of a packed crowd is something we are all excited about, and Ireland and England are two sides that we know well. We will be going out with optimism, knowing that we have nothing to lose, and will play with freedom as we try to further foster our attacking style.”
Squad
Amy Costello (Surbiton)
Amy Gibson (Grove Menzieshill)
Bronwyn Shields (Clydesdale Western)
Charlotte Watson (Beeston)
Ellie Wilson (Watsonians)
Eve Pearson (University of Edinburgh)
Fiona Burnet (Wimbledon)
Heather McEwan (Royal Victory)
Jennifer Eadie (Wimbledon)
Jessica Buchanan (Sevenoaks)
Jessica Ross (University of Edinburgh)
Katie Birch (Durham University)
Katie Robertson (University of Edinburgh)
Laura Swanson (Der Club An Der Alster)
Millie Steiger (Clydesdale Western)
Ruth Blaikie (AMVJ)
Sarah Jamieson (Watsonians)
Sophie Hinds (University of Edinburgh)
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