By Lucas Ball
Congratulations to W1s’ players Lottie Bingham, 18, and Tilly Woodhead, 17, who have both been selected in the England Women’s U21 squad for 2024, alongside former Holcombe player Izzy Shelley.
Former Holcombe captain and coach Leigh Maasdorp is also one of the assistant coaches.
Players went through an assessment process in January after the under-21s, including Bingham, finished fourth at the Junior World Cup in Chile in December.
Bingham was the youngest member of that squad and has since been awarded the Hockey Writers’ Club Youth award.
Woodhead was originally confirmed in the under-18s’ squad in November, with fellow Holcombe goalkeeper Eddie Rowney also included in the under-18 boys’ squad.
The 2024 programme begins at Warwick University from 13th-15th February as a combined England under-21 and under-18 set up, forming part of a new approach which will see greater integration and fluidity between age groups as England Hockey looks to provide the best possible stretch and development opportunities for its most high-potential female players.
The team will travel to Spain at Easter and then to France in May for a rare opportunity to play at the Olympic stadium alongside FIH Pro League matches, all part of the preparation for the EuroHockey Junior Championships in July.
Commenting on the new squad Heather Williams, GB Head of Elite Talent Development, said: “Congratulations to all the players selected and my thanks to their coaches and families who support them day in day out to help them achieve their hockey aspirations.
“It is great to see a mix of experience and new squad members.
“Players like Georgina Gardens and Sofia Martin, both also part of the Great Britain Elite Development Programme have now experienced two Junior World Cups.
“As they look to build on those experiences progress themselves, the opportunity for younger players to train and learn alongside them on and off the pitch is invaluable too so we can develop a continuous pipeline for players.”
Full squad and staff:
| Name | Club |
| Beth Alexander | Loughborough University |
| Alice Atkinson | University of Birmingham |
| Lottie Bingham | Weald of Kent GS/Holcombe HC |
| Olivia Breed | Brighton College/East Grinstead HC |
| Tilly Butterworth | Repton School/Repton HC |
| Hollie Dring-Richardson | Loughborough University |
| Sienna Dunn | University of Nottingham |
| Issy Field | East Grinstead HC |
| Georgie Gardens | University of Exeter/Isca HC |
| Emily Gilbert | Godolphin and Latymer School/Wimbledon HC |
| Josie Hippe | Sevenoaks School/Surbiton HC |
| Clemmie Houlden | Clifton Robinsons HC |
| Maddie Long | University of Nottingham |
| Sofia Martin | Hampstead and Westminster HC |
| Freya Robinson | Surbiton HC |
| Isobel Shelley | University of Birmingham |
| Molly Smith | Loughborough University |
| Ruby Spavin | Haileybury School/Southgate HC/Old Loughtonians TA |
| Scarlett Spavin | Durham University |
| Claudia Swain | University of Nottingham |
| Tilly Woodhead | Invicta GS/Holcombe HC |
* Please note that several players are still being assessed and may be added to the squad once their assessment is completed
| Staff | |
| Simon Letchford | Head Coach |
| Leigh Maasdorp | Assistant Coach |
| Lisa Letchford | Assistant Coach |
| Charli Robertson | Physiotherapist |
| Tom Millington | GK Coach |
| Ellen Davies | S&C Coach |
| Hannah Cureton | Performance Analyst |
| Sarah Eversfield | Team Manager |
| Heather Williams | Head of Elite Talent Development |