WA under-21s men set for international hit-out

The WA Under-21s Men’s extended squad will be put to the test early next year, with the Malaysian National Under-21s side set to travel to Perth to compete in a six-game series ahead of the Hockey Australia Under-21s National Championships.

The series, set to pit WA’s best in the under-21s age bracket in an elite-level contest against a top national side, will act as part of the selection process to finalise the team set to head to Sydney for the National Championships in March.

An extended squad of approximately 35 athletes will be selected from the first two under-21s trials, with the series set to take place between 20 – 30 January.

WA Under-21s Men’s Head Coach Tim Geers said the opportunity to compete against another nation’s best will provide invaluable experience for the athletes, as well as ensuring a thorough selection process is undertaken.

“We’ve put a lot of work in behind the scenes with the Malaysian Hockey Confederation to have this series confirmed,” Geers said.

“Opportunities to compete against international teams are very rare so it’s a great result for hockey in WA and our under-21s cohort.

“We’re coming off a very successful year with both our under-18s and under-21s men’s teams winning gold, and this series gives us a great platform to build on that as we prepare for the Under-21s National Championships in March.

“The series against Malaysia will also be incorporated into the selection process for the final Under-21s Men’s Team, making it the most thorough selection process we have possibly ever had.”

The series is another key initiative in Hockey WA’s ‘Beyond our Borders’ strategy, strengthening WA’s relationship with Asian countries in close proximity to the state.

“This opportunity and relationship with Malaysia supports our ambition to provide high-quality player development for our athletes against international competition,” Hockey WA General Manager of Game & Community Development Shayley McGurk Davy said.

"The series also fosters our growing engagement with Asia through our 'Beyond our Borders' strategy - not only focusing on player and official pathways for WA individuals, but also providing invaluable opportunities to visiting nations."

Hockey WA’s Head of Asian Engagement Chris Ciriello: “It iss great to build a relationship between Malaysia and HWA on the back of a successful Gryphon Cup, where we hosted a number of Malaysian teams.”

“We look forward to strengthening and developing the relationship and look forward to taking teams into Asia in future years.”

Final dates for the Malaysian Under-21s series will be released in due course.

Nominations for players wanting to trial for the WA Under-21s State Teams close 11:59pm, Thursday 8 December. Register here.

Note: Nominating for the U21 State Team trials does not guarantee selection in the 35-man squad for the series against Malaysia.