Three Welsh Players In GB Squads As Hockey Makes Return

Jacob Draper, Rupert Shipperley and Sarah Jones have been named in the Great Britain squads for next week’s return of the FIH Hockey Pro League.

Draper and Shipperley make the men’s squad for the games against The Netherlands (27 and 29 October) and Belgium (31 October and 1 November).

And Holcombe midfielder Jones is in the women’s squad for the games as the GB team play their first competitive matches in more than seven months.

Leah Wilkinson, Wales’ most capped sportsperson, misses out due to injury.

Rupert Shipperley scored on his GB debut in Australia this year.

Shipperley made a goal-scoring debut as Britain held world No 1 Australia to a thrilling 4-4 draw in a FIH Pro League game in Sydney in February.

Women’s head coach Mark Hager said: “I’m excited to start developing our game again and to get back into competitive action.

“The opportunity to challenge ourselves, especially against one of the world’s best teams in The Netherlands, is something we are all looking forward to.”

Wales skipper Jacob Draper is surrounded by China players at the Mens Series Finals in Kuala Lumpur last year. Pic: Mohd RASFAN / AFP) via Getty Images

“As we look to 2021 and the Olympic Games, this trip provides a fantastic opportunity for us to compete, develop and get used to some of the new Covid-19 protocols which could be in place over the coming months”

Men’s Head coach Danny Kerry said: “We’re very excited to get going. We train hard to play matches and, being competitive people, we look forward to match play.

“I’m very grateful to the people who have put in an absolutely enormous amount of work to enable these matches to happen.”