Hockey Australia have announced the 18-member Hockeyroos team, including five Victorian Institute of Sport scholarship holders to compete at next month’s Four Nations Women's Ibaraki International Tournament in Japan.
Hayley Padget and Sophie Taylor will make their debut for the Hockeyroos after impressing during a recent training camp visit to Perth. Hockeyroo regulars, Krissy Bates, Lily Brazel and Ashlee Wells will also take the pitch in Japan.
Padget and Taylor recently returned from a training stint at Hockey Australia headquarters in Perth, impressing head coach Paul Gaudoin.
“It’s exciting to provide this opportunity to some new faces at an international level and expose the Hockeyroos to Japanese conditions within two years of the Tokyo Olympics," said Gaudoin.
“Hayley, Sophie and Mikaela had all been in Perth on Visiting Athlete Agreements prior to the World Cup and earlier in the year and performed well. That combined with their performances in their daily training environments has warranted their respective call-ups.”
Padget has had her fair share of injuries throughout her career, showing enormous resilience to get to this point.
Taylor is excited about the opportunity that is ahead of her, wanting to soak up every bit of the experience when representing Australia.
“I’m just so excited for the opportunity to make my debut for the Hockeyroos,” said Taylor.
“It’s been something I have been working towards for a while and it’s so exciting that I get to weae the green and gold and represent Australian with an awesome group of girls!
“It’s a dream since I was a kid so it makes it even more special that it’s becoming true.”
The Hockeyroos go into the Japan tour ranked third and will face South Korea, United States and the hosts Japan, from 12-16 September at the OIC Field at the Ritsumeikan University Osaka Ibaraki Campus.
The Hockeyroos team is due to fly to Japan on Thursday 6 September, ahead of their opening match of the Four Nations against Japan on Wednesday 12 September.
