ICSF WORLDS: Gamage announces Team GB Women’s practice squad
Womens Team GB manager, Geoff Gamage, has sent in this press release with the squad news for the Rufus Burns Ashes series against Australia during the ICSF Worlds.
In preparation for the forthcoming Rufus Burns Ashes series in July/August, the first in the UK, Womens Team GB have the following announcements.
We are very pleased to welcome Natalie Timms into the management team, we have been keen to add a woman to our ranks for various reasons, the natural choice for this role is Natalie, she does a fantastic job running the Womens League and therefore has an immediate input to how the girls are progressing right the way through the whole ranks. She joins coaches Stuart Raven and Tony Bennett plus my right hand man Ian Brown.
We have selected 13 riders for the Test team practice squad, originally it was 12 but the call was very close on the last two we may as well, being younger girls that need to be welcomed into the international ranks, give them both the opportunity. However this does not mean there will not be opportunities for anyone else to impress I am probably not going to announce the starting line ups until after the World Championship entry deadline of June 10th. Anyway, in that time there is another Womens League at Hethersett and The Laurels at Poole to watch out for. I encourage all girls to enter Worlds regardless of whether you are in Under 13 bracket, whilst accepting the Under 10 will be too young.
I have a number of issues to clear before announcing the actual line ups for Horspath, Newport and Coventry, availability, injuries and the actual formula, with only 3 tests this has limited my scope for bringing new riders in and indeed keeping faith with those that travelled to Australia, it will be a tough balancing act and sure not to satisfy everyone.
As with Australia 2013 Sheffield’s Vicky Brown will be captain with Leicester’s Lucy Whitehead vice captain.
The 13 are as follows
Victoria Brown (Sheffield), Rebecca Davies (Sheffield), Lily Gedge (Ipswich), Charlie Jane Herbert (Ipswich), Lauren Hookway (Exeter), Lauren Jacobs (Ipswich), Samantha Jayne Marsh (Birmingham), Kristina Mines (Poole), Elizabeth Rigley (Leicester), Danielle Riley (Newport), Laura Watson (Leicester), Lucy Whitehead (Leicester), Michelle Whitehead (Leicester).
Geoff Gamage Team Manager.