The team competes in Poland this weekend as reward for winning the 2023 Welsh Cup.
PENARTH Ladies Hockey Club have upped sticks for Poland and tomorrow play as the only Welsh team in the 2024 Women’s EuroHockey Indoor Club Trophy.
The three-day tournament is the second highest tier of European indoor hockey and if Penarth Ladies win the competition they will qualify for the top tier.
Standing in their way at Skierniewice’s OSiR Hall for Friday’s pool stage are HC Wiener Neudorf (Austria), KS Hokej-Start Brzeziny (Poland) and Šiauliai Ginstrektė-Akademija (Lithuania).
Penarth have “absolutely no idea” what to expect from the teams listed above but are hoping to place as high as possible in the tournament.
“It is a huge positive to have represented Wales on behalf of the club at an international level,” said Lottie Bates, who captains the field hockey team this season.
“We hope to be role model to young players in the club and to attract new players to the club for both indoor and outdoor competitions.”
To prepare for the challenge the team have competed in a number of indoor tournaments and have squeezed in indoor training sessions alongside outdoor training and league games.
After Penarth Ladies make it through Pool A they will face more competition from the likes of Cambrai HC (France), KPH Rača (Slovakia), Hokej Klub Zelina (Croatia) and Pinoké (Netherlands).
The club qualified for the tournament by wining the Welsh National Indoor Cup in 2023 – beating Swansea’s first team in the final – to seal a return to European competition for the first time in several years.
“To have the opportunity to represent Welsh Clubs in the European Championship is an honour and it means so much to be playing alongside my friends and team members,” said first team player Kate Tyler.
“On behalf of the club we are incredibly proud of the girls and what they have already achieved,” said Rachel Disley, Chairwomen of Penarth Ladies Hockey Club.
“We wish them the best of luck for the EuroHockey Indoor competition and know that they will give it their all and make Wales proud.”
Squad list: Amy Partridge (GK), Carys Gordon (C), Pippa Barnes (VC), Naomi Wilde, Menai Richards, Millie Bushnell, Lena Davies, Lottie Bates, Kate Tyler, and Harriette Wilcock. Coach: Daf Tomos. Assistant coach: Nick Fackrell.
