Alex Danson to continue England captaincy for next three hockey tournaments

Since the squad claimed a first ever women’s Olympic hockey gold medal for Team GB at Rio 2016, England Hockey claims that over 10,000 new players have taken up the sport.

Discovering new talent will be crucial to successful bids for future honours as seasoned performers Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh as well as Crista Cullen have all stepped away from international duty since last year’s Olympics.

Whilst the squad will undoubtedly miss their experience and skill, the World League Finals line-up will feature eight Rio Olympians and three players will make major tournament debuts for England.

“We are as a team fantastic with intelligent players who are strong, fit and have pace to die for,” Danson said.

“We want to develop a team that opponents just can’t cope with, or keep up with and play a really attacking style of hockey that will be exciting to watch.”

Danson was 31 when she stepped onto the podium to collect gold at the Rio Olympics and could have been forgiven for retiring from hockey after achieving sport’s ultimate honour.

However her “love” for competition was undiminished.

“For me the greatest challenge is creating a winning team and that will be different to Rio as it’s a different group of people and characters,” she said.

“We’re equally motivated and dedicated and we’re doing everything we can to try to recreate something special in Tokyo.

“That (winning gold) will be our greatest ever challenge, but it’s a privilege to try to do it again.”

Their most immediate target though is to win a first ever World League Finals title in the last edition of the competition.

The event will be replaced by an international ‘Hockey Pro League’ from 2019, meaning this year’s winners will forever be reigning World League champions.

“One of our very clear visions is to create history and we want to be the first women’s team to recreate history again and again in British hockey,” Danson said.

“We have a fantastic opportunity to try to make a bit of history again out there and I’ve no doubts that this squad will go to some very high places.”