Women's hockey team aim for golden double

Team England have announced a 16-strong women’s hockey squad who will compete for Team and Country at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Australia.

The squad contains eight players, including captain Alex Danson MBE, who memorably claimed Olympic gold for Great Britain in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Team England claimed a silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, losing an agonising penalty shootout to Australia in the final. 

Team England have been drawn in Pool A for the 2018 Commonwealth Games against India, South Africa, Malaysia and Wales. The team will begin their campaign on 5 April against South Africa aiming for a place in the medal matches on 14 April.

England team captain and Team England board member, Alex Danson, said: 

“I’m incredibly proud to be leading this talented squad out to the Gold Coast to compete at the Commonwealth Games." 

"We continue to grow and improve as a team and I’m very excited to get out there and show everyone once again exactly what we can do. It’ll be a huge honour to compete at what will be my fourth Commonwealth Games.”

Team England Chef de Mission, Sarah Winckless, said: 

“I’d like to offer my congratulations to all the players and staff selected for Team England." 

"Our women’s hockey team have a phenomenal record of winning medals at the Commonwealth Games and I am sure they will once again do team and country proud on the Gold Coast.  

"Women’s hockey has taken off since the 2016 Olympics and I hope that Team England can once again play our part in securing success for the nation.”

Two further athletes will be added to the squad at a later date following fitness tests.  A further announcement on these players will be made in due course.

The team of 16 is as follows:

Name	Date of Birth	Place of Birth	Club	Commonwealth Games Experience
Giselle Ansley	31/03/1992	Plymouth	Surbiton Hockey Club	Glasgow 2014 – Silver
Grace Balsdon	13/04/1993	Canterbury	Canterbury	N/A
Sophie Bray	12/05/1990	Grasse, France	SV Kampong, Netherlands	Glasgow 2014 – Silver
Alex Danson	21/05/1985	Southampton	Clifton	Melbourne 2006 – Bronze Dehli 2010 – Bronze Glasgow 2014 – Silver
Sarah Haycroft	12/04/1991	Wandsworth	Surbiton Hockey Club	Glasgow 2014 – Silver
Maddie Hinch	08/10/1988	Southampton	SCHC, Netherlands	Glasgow 2014 – Silver
Kathryn Lane	27/02/1995	Derby	Leicester Hockey Club	N/A
Hannah Martin	30/12/1994	Ipswich	Surbiton Hockey Club	N/A
Lily Owsley	10/12/1994	Bristol	Birmingham	Glasgow 2014 Silver
Hollie Pearne-Webb	19/09/1990	Derby	Surbiton Hockey Club	Glasgow 2014 - Silver
Ellie Rayer	22/11/1996	Slough	Loughborough students	N/A
Amy Tennant	28/08/1994	Davyhulme	East Grinstead	N/A
Anna Toman	29/04/1993	Derby	University of Birmingham	N/A
Susannah Townsend	28/07/1989	London	Canterbury	Glasgow 2014 – Silver
Laura Unsworth	08/03/1988	Sutton Colfield	East Grinstead	Dehli 2010 – Bronze Glasgow 2014 – Silver
Ellie Watton	10/06/1989	Chesterfield	Holcombe	Glasgow 2014 - Silver