Guide To The 2021 EuroHockey Championships

Both teams have taken squads of 20 (including two reserves) to Amsterdam. Adam Dixon will captain the men’s side while Hollie Pearne-Webb will lead out the women.

Men’s head coach Danny Kerry has picked an experienced squad, with only Ollie Payne having not previously featured at a senior European tournament. Indeed, 11 of the players who won bronze at the 2017 tournament are in the squad while Dixon also won gold back in 2009.

Long-term injuries to Emily Defroand, Tess Howard and Hannah Martin ruled them out of selection for this tournament, while Shona McCallin was initially selected but had to withdraw to recover from a blow to the foot sustained playing for Great Britain last month. As a result, Mark Hager has selected a number of exciting young players with Esme Burge, Fiona Crackles and Lizzie Neal all set to make their senior England debuts. Conversely, this will be a seventh European appearance for Laura Unsworth.

Men’s squad

• 1) George Pinner (GK)
• 5) David Ames 
• 9) Harry Martin
• 10) Chris Griffiths
• 11) Ian Sloan
• 13) Sam Ward
• 15) Phil Roper
• 16) Adam Dixon (C) 
• 18) Brendan Creed
• 19) David Goodfield
• 20) Ollie Payne (GK)
• 21) Liam Ansell
• 25) Jack Waller
• 26) James Gall
• 27) Liam Sanford
• 29) Tom Sorsby
• 31) Will Calnan
• 32) Zach Wallace

Travelling reserves

• 6) Henry Weir
• 22) David Condon

Women’s squad

• 1) Maddie Hinch (GK)
• 4) Laura Unsworth
• 5) Sarah Evans
• 6) Anna Toman
• 8) Esme Burge
• 9) Susannah Townsend
• 12) Erica Sanders
• 13) Ellie Rayer
• 18) Giselle Ansley
• 20) Hollie Pearne-Webb (C)
• 22) Lizzie Neal
• 25) Sabbie Heesh (GK)
• 26) Lily Owsley
• 27) Jo Hunter
• 31) Grace Balsdon
• 33) Izzy Petter
• 38) Fiona Crackles

Travelling reserves

• 19) Alex Malzer 
• 21) Sophie Hamilton
• 29) Catherine Ledesma 

All of England’s matches will be shown live on BT Sport. If you’re not already a subscriber, the BT Sport Monthly Pass is contract free and gives you instant access to every BT Sport channel for 30 days for only £25 (that’s less than 63p per game!). Click here to buy a Monthly Pass.

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• Saturday 5 June: England v Russia (M) – 10:00 (BT Sport 3) 
• Sunday 6 June: England v Italy (W) – 09:30 (BT Sport 3)
• Sunday 6 June: England v Belgium (M) – 18:45 (BT Sport 2) 
• Monday 7 June: England v Germany (W) – 16:00 (BT Sport 1)
• Tuesday 8 June: England v Spain (M) – 16:00 (BT Sport 1)
• Wednesday 9 June: England v Belgium (W) – 16:00 (BT Sport 1)
• Thursday 10 June: Semi-Finals/Group C (M) 
• Friday 11 June: Semi-Finals/Group C (W) 
• Saturday 12 June: Medal Matches/Group C (M) 
• Sunday 13 June: Medal Matches/Group C (W)

As well as the quest for silverware, qualification for the forthcoming World Cups is also on the line for both teams. In order to reach the 2023 Men’s Hockey World Cup in India, England’s men need to finish in the top five to secure their place at the tournament.

With The Netherlands and Spain co-hosting the 2022 Women’s Hockey World Cup, placing in the top three will guarantee England’s women a spot at the event next summer. However they could also qualify by finishing fourth (if either the Dutch or Spanish place ahead of them) or fifth (if both the Dutch and Spanish place ahead of them).

While they will almost certainly be prioritising the success of the team over any individual accolade, there are a number of individual achievements that could be reached by players across the course of the tournament.

• England debuts: Esme Burge, Fiona Crackles, Lizzie Neal, Ollie Payne
• 50^th combined international appearance: Liam Ansell (currently on 49)
• 50^th England appearance: David Ames, Brendan Creed (both currently on 45)
• 100^th combined international appearance: David Ames (currently on 96)
• 100^th England appearance: Hollie Pearne-Webb (currently on 98)
• 150^th England appearance: Laura Unsworth (currently on 145)
• 200^th combined international appearance: George Pinner (currently on 195)