Hoci Cymru are delighted to announce the selection of 4 Welsh athletes in the GB Men’s and Women’s squads as the FIH Pro League returns to London.
Toby Reynolds-Cotterill, Jacob Draper, Gareth Furlong and Sarah Jones will all play their part in the ‘mini-tournament’ hosted at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre between the 1st-12th June.
Sarah Jones confirms her presence as a mainstay of the GB team and will be in contention for selection for all 8 matches hosted in London.
The men’s squad has been named for the first 4 matches with goalkeeper Toby Reynolds Cotterill returning to international action having missed out on participating in the Olympic qualifiers.
Gareth Furlong, who has 148 International Senior outdoor caps for Wales and 99 goals has impressed selectors to earn his first GB cap having joined the GB centralised programme in February.
On the news of his selection Furlong said:
“I’m so excited for this opportunity! It’s been a tough 4 month training block since joining the set up so I’m really looking forward to getting out there and making my debut in front of a home crowd”
Jacob Draper will be looking to secure his 50th international GB cap over the course of the campaign in addition to being named vice captain of the squad.
Speaking on his appointment Draper commented:
“It’s a huge honour and something which means a lot to me and everyone who has supported me thus far. It’ll be great to play in front of a home crowd again and hopefully we can put in some quality performances and gain some momentum for the summer.”
Across 12 days, both GB sides will play 8 international matches. Both squads will play India and Australia twice. The men’s team will also play Ireland and Spain twice, whilst the women’s team face China and the United States twice.
GB’s campaign is the first international action since their successful Olympic qualification campaigns in Oman and Valencia earlier this year.
The first matches will take place on the 1st June in front of a sell-out crowd. The GB Men will kickstart their campaign against Ireland, whilst the Women will face the United States.
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