Women’s EuroHockey U21 Championship preview
Previous appearances: 17
Best performances: 2nd (1988, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2010)
England’s Under-21 women can draw on the experience of 12 players from last December’s Junior World Cup squad as they look to back up their 2024 EuroHockey U21 Championship bronze medal.
It follows head coach Simon Letchford’s announcement of his panel to compete in Valencia in the 22nd edition of the competition with the action getting underway on Sunday, August 26th.
Speaking about the panel, he said: “I am excited by the opportunities that competing against the Europe’s strongest hockey nations will offer.
“With 12 of the 18 selected athletes having gained valuable experience at the Junior World Cup in Chile last year, the squad can boast a good amount of amount of experience for a pathway side.
“Alongside that, it is exceptionally rewarding to offer exposure, stretch and challenge to players yet to experience tournament hockey at this level.”
Indeed, the likes of Liv Breed, Tilly Butterworth, Sofia Martin, Sienna Dunn, Molly Smith, Josefina Hippe and Freya Robinson all played in the 2024 Euro vintage.
In addition, Biba Mills has recently signed terms with HC Rotterdam in the Hoofdklasse after some record-breaking seasons with East Grinstead – she scored four times in the Junior World Cup last December when they finished eighth. Izzy Jonge, meanwhile, has starred in the EHL for Surbiton.
At the other end of the spectrum, it is a first Under-21 capped tournament for Monica Watkins, Kea Murray, Clem Houlden, Evie Smith, Isy Key and East Grinstead goalkeeper Tilly Woodhead who starred indoors for her club.
Looking at their challenge in Pool A, Letchford adds: “Recognising that a pool consisting of Scotland, Spain and the Netherlands will offer a stern test, the aims of the group will be to do all that we can, on a game by game basis, to give ourselves the best possible opportunity of success.
“This ambition is matched by the desire to develop individual athletes to the point where they compete for places in senior England and Great Britain squads capable of taking the game forwards in the coming years.”
England Under-21 Women’s squad
| Number | Name | Caps | Goals | Club |
| 4 | Monica Watkins | 0 | 0 | University of Nottingham |
| 5 | Freya Robinson | 11 | 2 | University of Nottingham |
| 6 | Sienna Dunn | 17 | 2 | University of Nottingham |
| 7 | Kea Murray | 0 | 0 | University of Nottingham |
| 8 | Molly Smith (GK) | 17 | 0 | Loughborough University |
| 10 | Liv Breed | 11 | 1 | Loughborough University |
| 11 | Evie Grindal | 6 | 2 | Clifton Robinsons |
| 12 | Mia Moore | 6 | 2 | Loughborough University |
| 14 | Tilly Woodhead (GK) | 0 | 0 | University of Birmingham |
| 15 | Biba Mills | 5 | 4 | East Grinstead / Brighton College |
| 16 | Tilly Butterworth | 16 | 0 | Harvard University (USA) |
| 18 | Clementine Houlden | 0 | 0 | Princeton University (USA) |
| 20 | Beth Gardens | 6 | 1 | Loughborough University |
| 21 | Izzy Yonge | 6 | 0 | Surbiton/Surbiton High School |
| 22 | Josefina Hippe | 15 | 2 | Surbiton |
| 24 | Evie Smith | 0 | 0 | Holcombe/Brighton College |
| 25 | Isabella Key | 0 | 0 | Surbiton |
| 28 | Sofia Martin | 25 | 1 | Hampstead & Westminster |
| Heather Williams | Team Leader | |||
| Tom Millington | Team Manager | |||
| Simon Letchford | Head Coach | |||
| Leigh Maasdorp | Assistant Coach | |||
| Lisa Letchford | Assistant Coach | |||
| Ashleigh Abbott | Physiotherapist | |||
| Tom Elliott | Video Technician |
