Hockey Wales Takes the EuroHockey Stage: Ready, Set, Go!

Hockey Wales is hitting the ground running with their squads for the EuroHockey Qualifiers 2024! The men’s team is polishing their sticks in lovely Dublin, ready to face Luxembourg on August 22 at the bright-and-early hour of 11:00 BST (bring your coffee, folks!). Meanwhile, the women are donning their game faces for a showdown against Croatia in Glasgow later the same day at 16:15 BST (that’s just enough time for a quick nap!).

These matches are the kickoff to a knockout tournament that promises to be more intense than a cat fight over a sunbeam. The ladies will keep battling it out until the 24th, while the gents will wrap up by the 25th. The stakes are high, folks! The winners strut their stuff up to the prestigious European A division in 2025, and you know that’s a golden ticket!

In a twist of fate, the woman’s squad is rocking the same lineup as their recent triumphant tour against Malaysia. Head coach Kevin Johnson is all about positivity—he’s hoping they keep up the good vibes and elevate their game to new heights. “We’re treating this tournament as our springboard to success!” he declared like a motivational poster come to life.

On the men’s side, they are riding high on their summer series win against Austria, but captain Ben Francis knows they’ve got a bit of a bumpy road ahead (think less ‘yellow brick road’ and more ‘winding country lane’). He’s fired up, saying, “We have a challenging path to a potential final with Ireland, but hey, who doesn’t love a little drama? The chance of returning to A division in 2025 is the cherry on top!”

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, Owain Dolan-Gray is set to snag his 150th cap for Wales, which is basically the hockey equivalent of reaching the final level in a video game! Meanwhile, women’s goalkeeper Ella Jackson is ready to clap her way to a milestone of 50 caps in Glasgow. Talk about making it rain!

Here’s the star-studded lineup for Wales!

**Wales Women’s Squad:**
Anja Atkin, Beth Bingham (capt), Amy Cradden, Rebecca Daniel, Ava Dempsey, Freya Diamond, Rachel Goodwin, Millie Holme, Livvy Hoskins, Izzie Howell, Ella Jackson, Holly Munro, Maisie Riley, Lauren Roberts, Lily Roberts, Emily Rowlands, Betsan Thomas, Caitlin Witham.

**Wales Men’s Squad:**
Toby Reynolds-Coterrill, Jack Tranter, Daniel Kyriakides, Hywel Jones, Owen Sutton, Jamie Rawlings, Rhys Bradshaw, Fred Newbold, Gareth Griffiths, Ben Francis (capt), Will Penrose, Rhodri Furlong, Nic Morgan, Dale Hutchinson, Alf Dinnie, Jack Pritchard, Jolyon Morgan, Owain Dolan Gray.

So grab your foam fingers and rally behind our squads! Let’s hope they leave it all on the field and bring home some bragging rights! Go Wales!