Hoci Cymru’s U21 Women booked their place at the 2025 Junior World Cup courtesy of their victory at the Eurohockey U21 II-A Championships in July.
The title also gave the side a coveted spot in the 2026 European A Division Championships.
The Welsh U21 Women proved their class up against their competition throughout the campaign, only failing to register a win in their opening fixture against Italy.
It was a hard-fought draw against the Italians to kick things off, with goals from Betsan Thomas and Freya Diamond earning a point.
Wales began to find their winning mojo come the following game, however, as late drama saw them overcome a stern Czech outfit.
In the dying embers of the game, Amy Cradden proved the heroine of the hour as she converted a flick to steal a late 1-0 victory and give her side momentum moving forward through the campaign.
The U21 Welsh Women subsequently proved too strong for their Lithuanian counterparts, running riot to record a spectacular 5-0 win.
Amy Cradden added two to her tournament tally, while Jemima Robinson grabbed a hat-trick as the commanding rout secured top spot in the group and Wales’ place in the final.
The final would throw Czechia at Wales once again, and the game was no less tight this time around.
The match ebbed and flowed captivatingly, as both teams enjoyed the swing of momentum.
Freya Diamond got herself back on the scoresheet to put the Welsh 1-0 up, although they were pegged back 16 minutes later.
It would be a day for Amy Cradden to remember, as she made it 2-1 before scoring the final goal of the game four minutes from time, after Wales had once again been pegged back.
Scoring for the third consecutive game and bagging her fourth and fifth of the competition, Cradden’s goals were enough to earn Wales the title as they held on until full time.
“Winning gold at the Eurohockey U21 II-A Championships was a great achievement and everything that we had hoped for,” commented Manager and Assitant Coach Paul Edwards, “as this now qualifies us for the World Cup in 2025 and then Euro A Division in 2026.
“We knew it would be a tough competition as we hadn’t played together as a full squad due to a number of the players being involved in the senior programmes, and we were aware that some of the other nations had been better funded.
“But in the face of these challenges, this brought us closer together and the girls showed incredible resilience and determination to overcome all obstacles and win the competition.”
By Hockey Wales
