We are delighted to hear that BGS alumna, Kate Axford (2017), has been selected for the Great Britain Training Squad for 2022. 

Following the Tokyo Olympics during a period of Talent Confirmation, Kate was scouted from her performance playing for Wimbledon, to attend a set of GB trials. Successfully negotiating these, she then spent a fortnight training with the GB training squad culminating in the offer of a full-time contract.

Kate represented England U21’s in the European Championships in Valencia in 2017, winning a bronze medal before taking a break from the GB Elite Development Programme to enjoy her University hockey and focus on her studies. After captaining the University of Exeter in her final year, Kate went on to join Wimbledon hockey club in September playing in the Vitality Women’s Premier league.

Despite missing the first Pro-League matches vs Argentina with COVID, Kate is now looking forward to the possibility of Pro League matches in India and then the USA before facing China, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium at home from April through to the end of June. For those players selected it will be a busy summer with a World Cup followed by a home Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, wrapping up with European qualifiers at the end of August.

We are all extremely proud of Kate.

View the full squad selection here.