England Age Group Squads Set For Action Over Easter in Utrecht and Nottingham

The England U18 Boys and Girls travel to Utrecht over the Easter weekend to play fixtures against France and the Netherlands at SV Kampong.

The England U16 Boys and Girls will be playing at home at Nottingham Hockey Centre in a 4 Nations invitational series with matches against Scotland, Spain and the Netherlands, from 8-10 April 2023. Supporters, coaches and the hockey family are welcome to attend.

Mark Bateman, Lead Talent Coach (Boys), said: “After a promising series in February against Ireland for the U18 Boys and Ulster for the U16 Boys, we are looking to continue to build on some exciting foundations as we work towards the Europeans this summer.”

Liam Barker, England U18 Boys player, said: “The best moment for me in the programme so far has been playing in my first international match against Ireland, putting on the shirt and knowing you are playing for your country. We have seen the squad coming together, creating a really good team environment on and off the pitch, not only with players but also with the coaching staff. I can’t wait to travel with the team.”

Lisa Letchford, Lead Talent Coach (Girls) said: “After the hugely successful Great Britain Women’s Pathway camp in February, this will be the first time this season that the girls will be tested against international opposition. We are looking forward to seeing how these squads will fare and to progressing as groups.”

Ruby Butterfield, England U16 Girls goalkeeper, commented: “I feel like I have grown in self-confidence over the past year, and I am now comfortable with new environments, that may have made me feel uncomfortable prior to the EAG programme. The best feeling from last season would probably be how I felt on the way to our games – the way we had come together as a squad made me feel like I was part of something amazing. I can’t wait to be back playing international matches.”