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Where did the idea of a GB competition come from? The idea for the Super Leagues came out of the GB Framework which we developed after the last Olympics. The GB squad needs an appropriate competition to enable us to select the best players – this competition will fulfil that need. We didn’t want to simply look at the national teams hence we have a number of mixed nationality teams in the competition. How did the team names/logos come about? The idea of having cats as the teams’ logos came from the idea of the GB lion. It’s was simple as that. The designs have had a fantastic, positive response. The players also love the new, fresh image. We haven’t seen much promotion about the event. Why? This year the competition isn’t going to have a high profile. We didn’t want a huge fuss to distract from the performance on the pitch; as we’ve never ran anything like this before we thought this year would be more of a trial. It’s running over three weekends this year but next year we’ll run it over two which will make it more spectator friendly. Has it been modelled on another sport? It has a very American feel about it… We haven’t modelled the competition on any other sport although we’d like it to mirror the Champions Challenge [an event introduced in 2001 in order to broaden hockey's competitive base at world level. It traditionally features the teams ranked 7th-12th in the world]. What benefits will this tournament bring to our Olympic hopes? The benefits are linked to fulfilling the GB hockey strategy. It will positively impact on the performance and coaching environment and allow Jason [Lee] and Danny [Kerry] to see everyone in a competitive environment. The GB team only ever met in a competitive environment once every four years. This new initiative will therefore help forge a better team spirit and achieve a team GB identity. And don’t forget that it will help the umpires and officials too. This is going to be an annual competition which is integral to the growth and development of the GB team. There’ll obviously be a de-briefing after the event and England will be keeping the teams together to play at the training centres. We want less travel and more training so this fits into that ethos perfectly. As a spectator what can I expect? Spectators will get to see the best players of GB. It’s a great opportunity to see them playing together – men and women. You’ll also get to see them with their new kit and image. How were the players chosen? The players have been chosen from their performance at national level. This has thrown up the opportunity to put 18+ year old players with more senior players. We’ve also chosen players who stand a real chance of competing at the Olympics in 2008 and 2012. Going Logo Down In Milton Keynes The GB Super League team names were ‘invented’ in-house by EH. An agency, Blue Green Design, was then briefed to prepare stylised illustrations based on the cat names whilst incorporating the hockey stick/ball graphic to identify the sport. How did GB train before this? In previous years the Great Britain selection of squads would be announced 12 months before the Olympic Games following no appropriate competition or formal training and if they were competing in a qualifier would only have a maximum of six months to work together!
CAT COMMENTS Captain Rhys Joyce, Celtic panthers: "Winning medals for Great Britain in the Olympics is the dream of hockey players throughout the British Isles - it's the pinnacle of any hockey players career. The sense of achievement and pride for athletes from the Home Countries representing Great Britain in successful Olympic campaigns in '08, '12 (and beyond!) will be huge, and the impact that this will have on the profile of hockey throughout GB will be fantastic. "It's great that Welsh players have the opportunity to be part of this inaugural GB Super league which is part of the overall plan to bring success to the GB team in the coming years. I know that our players and coaching staff are looking forward to the challenge of the tournament and the opportunity it presents for all involved. It's an honour to lead our team who are excited by the prospect of playing against the best players from England and Scotland. Hopefully we can put in strong performances throughout the tournament and help make it an excellent few weeks". Simon Letchford, Wessex Leopards (women): “In the true spirit of the Super League the squad has been put together from eight different clubs and a school! The Leopards can boast players such as Helen Richardson and Jenny Bimson, with more than 350 international caps between them and also future stars like Susie Gilbert and Sarah Page who were members of the Gold Medal winning team at the recent Youth Olypmics. “Preparation for the GBSL has gone well for the Leopards with the group getting together as regularly as time permits. I am looking forward to the team delivering against the objectives they set themselves at their first training camp: ‘to play at a high tempo and with a great work ethic ; to enjoy the opportunity to play in this new environment and with new team mates - to win!’” Dave Strettle, Celtic Panthers: “I currently represent Wales which is why I’m with the Panthers. Training has taken place over the past few weekends down at the Welsh Institute of Sport in Cardiff. We’ve been putting in a lot of hard work over these weekends and I know the guys are putting in a lot of time and effort away from the camps working on our individual skills and fitness. Were going to go into the superleague looking to win it, and the squads attitude to training at the moment is reflecting that. “I think the concept of this superleague is good. Not only do I get to play against the best players in GB, but I can also put myself in the frame for future Olympics and GB involvement. After missing out on going to Australia with GB U20s in January, I want to push my claim for a place in the next AYO in 2009 and also I want to impress enough to be considered for the Welsh senior side that goes to the European Championships this summer. “I don't think the EHL will end up going the same way as the superleague, the EHL is completely different and England needs a national league. I’ve been at Cannock since I was nine years old and as you grow up you always aspire to play for your clubs 1st X1. You look up to the guys who are playing for the 1st team and now that I am its an honour, it was only a few years ago I was ball-boying for them! I take as much pride in representing my club as I do my country. “I feel the superleague offers Welsh players a superb opportunity to exhibit their skills and give themselves a real shout in terms of GB selection. There are some very talented players within Welsh hockey. Welsh players in recent years such as David Hacker, Paul Edwards and George Harris have gained recognition at GB level and this provides hope for the rest of the guys in the squad who want to go to an Olympics.” |
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