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Burnside's Jane Claxton will play 200th game at World Cup

Published Thu 26 May 2022

Hockeyroos coach Katrina Powell announces youthful squad for July hockey World Cup

Posted 26/5/2022

Hockeyroos coach Katrina Powell poses for the camera at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games

Katrina Powell took over at the Tokyo Olympics, where the Hockeyroos suffered a shock quarter-final exit.(Getty Images: Paul Kane)

 

Hockeyroos coach Katrina Powell has settled on the next generation to lead the side in July's women's hockey World Cup.

Key points:

  • Nine of those named in the squad have played 25 games or less
  • Rachael Lynch, Edwina Bone, Emily Chalker and Ashlee Wells all retired after the Tokyo Olympics
  • Katrina Powell took over as coach at Tokyo as part of a cultural overhaul

Nine of the 18-strong squad selected on Thursday boast 25 games or less as Australia resets for the tournament, split between Spain and the Netherlands.

It follows the post-Olympic retirements of veteran goalkeeper Rachael Lynch and key teammates Edwina Bone, Emily Chalker and Ashlee Wells.

Powell took the helm from Paul Gaudoin for the Tokyo Games, as part of a program overhaul triggered by claims of bullying that saw Lynch resort to a legal challenge to earn back her spot in the side.

Rachael Lynch high-fives Hockeyroos teammate Kate Jenner at the Tokyo Olympics

Rachael Lynch retired after the Tokyo Olympics, where she made a legal challenge to earn back her spot in the side. (Getty Images: Francois Nel)

A quarter-final exit there came as a shock after some inspired play, with the side again impressive in a World Cup lead-up tournament in New Zealand earlier this month.

The result has left Powell with a squad that she's confident can execute the attacking, high-pressure style she relished as a player.

"There were some good performances [in New Zealand], which made the selection difficult for the panel," the coach said.

"In the end, we are really pleased with the mix of youth and experience, and excited for the challenge that is the World Cup."

Claire Colwill, 18, will be one of 10 in their first World Cup, while Jane Claxton will bring up game 200 during the campaign.

The Hockeyroos share a pool with Belgium, Japan and South Africa, with all of their games to be played in Terrassa, Spain.

Two-time winners of the Cup — in 1994 and 1998 — the Hockeyroos finished fourth in 2018.

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