Rupert Shipperley Ready For New GB Role As Jacob Draper Joins Him In Squad For Pro League

By Hannah Blackwell

Wales co-captain Rupert Shipperley intends to make an impact on and off the field as Great Britain’s new vice-captain.

The 31-year-old is one of two Welsh players named in the GB squad, alongside Jacob Draper.

Shipperley will undertake his new duties for the FIH 2023/2024 Pro League in Argentina which starts next month.

https://twitter.com/HockeyWales/status/1729100255881527556?s=20

The midfielder, who has earned 33 Great Britain caps, said: “We have a great locker room and I hope I can continue to contribute both on the field and as one of the vice-captains.

Draper, 25, who made his GB debut in 2019, boasts 25 caps for Great Britain and an impressive 68 international appearances for Wales.

At the start of this year, Shipperley led Wales into their first appearance at the Hockey World Cup.

FRA 1 WAL 2
Welsh dragon fire burns France after the awarding of a controversial shortie,
Rupert SHIPPERLEY sends a spectacular skilled overhead slam-slot of the ball into the net.
Watch Live: https://t.co/XU0O2ZRLOe #HWC2023 pic.twitter.com/QWBwNs1rWY

— EuroHockey (@eurohockeyorg) October 24, 2021

Season five of the FIH Hockey Pro League will include six “mini-tournaments”:

Santiago del Estero, Argentina (6-11 December 2023)
Buenos Aires, Argentina (14-19 February 2024)
Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, India (3-25 February 2024)
Antwerp, Belgium (22 May-2 June 2024)
Lee Valley, Great Britain (1-12 June 2024)
Utrecht and Amsterdam, Netherlands (22-30 June 2024)