It has been a fantastic summer for Ipswich Hockey, with players of all ages representing the club at regional, national and international level.
UK Lions U13 Regional Hockey Championship
Ipswich was once again well represented in the Anglian Eagles Squad at the 2026 UK Lions U13 Regional Championship.
Congratulations to Henry Bale, Finley Card, Jack Frary, Rufus Wells and William Southgate on their selection and performances.
EH Talent Academy Cup
A huge congratulations to the Ipswich juniors who represented the East, as part of the Bury St Edmunds Talent Academy Cup teams, in Nottingham.
The competition brought together 24 teams over three days of highly competitive hockey, with England Hockey age-group selectors in attendance.
Boys:
Ben Bastow (C), Charlie Cooper (C), Austin Edwards (C), Jack Cooper, Frank Downes, Josh Hines, Greg Slater, Alex Swindin and Callum Warnes.
Girls:
Annabel Bryce, Maisie Debenham, Izzy Gebbard, Amelia Hodgkinson and Betsy Lawes.
The wider 2025/26 cohort also included Millie Bale, Jemima Brookes, Freddie Brown, Elias El-Mahraoui, Lara Hicks and Jake Shelley.
As a single club, Ipswich juniors represented around 40% of the players selected for this year’s cycle, highlighting the fantastic strength and depth of our junior hockey programme.
Mercia Cup
Our young U12 team entered the highly competitive Mercia Cup for the first time.
It was a fantastic opportunity for the players to step up and experience hockey at a higher level, providing valuable experience and a great learning opportunity for the team.
Well done to everyone involved!
Ipswich Players Representing England at the World Hockey Masters
The international success has continued, with three Ipswich players representing England at the 2026 World Hockey Masters World Cup in Schiedam, Netherlands, held from 22 July to 1 August.
- Kat Blake – England Women O40
- Lizzy Wheelhouse – England Women O45
- Craig Wild – England Men O35
Kat’s England O40 side reached the quarter-finals, narrowly losing on a shootout, while Lizzy and Craig both progressed through to the semi-finals.
A fantastic achievement for all three players and a brilliant reflection of the quality and experience within Ipswich Hockey.
More International Representation to Come
The international action continues in August, with more Ipswich players heading to Breda from 6–16 August:
- Roger Girling – England O75 B
- Peter Glading – LX England O70
- Allison Glading – LX England O70 Manager
We wish them all the very best!
FIH Hockey World Cup 2026
We are also delighted to see Olympic medallist and former Ipswich player Hannah French (Martin) return to the England Senior Squad for the FIH Hockey World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands later this month.
Hannah makes her return following an ACL injury at the end of 2025.
A huge congratulations to Hannah on her selection and welcome return to the international stage.
A Fantastic Summer for Ipswich Hockey
From our junior players making their mark at regional and national competitions to our senior players representing England on the world stage, it has been an outstanding few months for Ipswich Hockey.
Congratulations to everyone involved — and good luck to all those continuing to represent the club throughout August! 🏑👏
