Lothians athletes picked for Scotland’s Euro bid

Scotland under-21 women squad head to the Junior EuroHockey Championships bidding to retain their position at the top table of European hockey. Scotland also has the opportunity to qualify for the Junior World Cup with a top five finish in Ghent.

Coach Neil Menzies has picked an exciting young team after winning the EuroHockey Championship II champions tournament in Alanya, Turkey, in 2019.

The Scots are in Pool B and get their campaign underway against Germany on 24 July. Next up will be Ireland on 26 July before Scotland take on England in the final pool match on 27 July. The placings matches take place on 29 and 30 July.

Menzies said: “This is new ground for a Scottish under-21 squad and, with the chance to qualify for next year’s Junior World Cup as an added incentive, we are all looking forward to the challenge.

“Our group contains two of the teams who finished on the podium at the recent Junior World Cup, and while both Germany and England will field much changed sides in the Euros, they can still be expected to be the favourites to qualify for the semis. Despite that, our recent matches against Ireland and England have shown us that we can be competitive and that targeting a semi-final spot, while a challenge, is attainable.

“We will be looking for the top five finish that would see us qualify for next year’s Junior World Cup in Chile. It will be tough to achieve and will require us to play at our best, but that is what top level competition is all about.”

Pre-name Surname Club
Amber Murray Edinburgh University
Amy Salmon Bristol
Anna Hoolaghan Clydesdale-Western
Ava Findlay Edinburgh University
Charlotte Simmers Bristol
Corrie Hay Glasgow University
Ellie Mackenzie Loughborough
Faith Joubert Wageningen (Netherlands)
Georgia Jones Edinburgh University
Itske Hooftman Edinburgh University
Jess Buchanan Athletic Terrassa
Katie Swanson Edinburgh University
Lucy Williamson GHK
Lunjika Nyirenda Hampstead & Westminster
Neave Halliday Edinburgh University
Rhiannon Carr Glasgow University
Ruth Blaikie AMVJ (Netherlands)
Sophie Hinds Edinburgh University