In two days time, our Women’s Junior National Team (WJNT) takes on Pan Am rival Argentina to open their Junior World Cup campaign.
The Junior World Cup plays a pivotal role in developing this group of athletes who will eventually make up the core of the Senior Women’s Team for years to come.
Coach Ian Rutledge sees the JWC as a critical stepping stone to the Senior National Team: “It is an excellent opportunity to benchmark our best young players against their international peers, both individually and in terms of National Program and athlete development.”
Confidence gained from a busy summer
The girls are coming off a productive summer of preparations – balancing focused training blocks with high level domestic and international competition. In late May, the WJNT played a tightly contested 4 match test series vs. Argentina.
They followed this up with an inspiring performance at Canada’s Senior National Championships where they defeated an experienced BC team in the final. Post Senior Nationals, the team centralised in Vancouver for a final training camp in August before departing for Germany.
The domestic training allowed for a prioritization on physiology through the summer. The hard work should pay off as Rutledge is confident they’ll be one of the fittest teams in the tournament.
There’s a nice mix of experience and youth, with 10 players coming off the successful Senior tour of Ireland. Led by Senior veterans Hannah Haughn, Natalie Sourisseau, and Sara McManus with a combined total of 124 caps, the team is in good hands.
Match #1 vs. Argentina goes July 27 12 am PST (midnight).
For tournament coverage, schedules, and results, visit the FHC JWC Tournament Page and get the latest updates by following @FieldHockeyCan.
