Bulldogs pair selected for GB Under-16 team at Riga Hockey Cup

THE CHOSEN ONES: Danny Harrison (left), Head coach Andy Brown and Daragh Spawforth.

TWO Bradford Bulldogs’ youngsters have been selected to play for Great Britain Under-16s men at the Riga Hockey Cup in April.

Under-16s captain Daragh Spawforth and Under-16s assistant captain Danny Harrison both made it through to final 22-strong squad which will head out to the Latvian capital to compete in the 14-team tournament which starts on Friday, April 19 and ends on Sunday, April 21.

For Daragh, it marks a second GB call-up in the past few weeks having made it on to the GB 3-on-3 team that competed at the recent 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon, South Korea, in January.

Danny was named as the reserve on that occasion but joins his long-time Bulldogs’ team-mate in the full squad this time around.

Bulldogs’ head coach Andy Brown said it was another proud moment for the club, coming on the back of a number of recent international call-ups for the junior section, including Jess Wooding and Lydia Lutwyche both making the Under-18 GB Women’s team that won silver in the World Championships last month, while Under-16 and Under-14 netminder Jacob Mardell will head to Turku, Finland, with England Under-14s in April.

“It’s another excellent achievement for both boys and thoroughly deserved,” said Andy. “It’s a just reward for the effort and dedication that they put in to training every single week.

“Myself and everyone at the club are proud of them and wish them and the rest of the GB Under-16s the best of luck when they fly out to Riga in April.”

It is the third year that the national programme have sent a team to the prestigious tournament, with GB head coach Jamie Elson confident they are taking another strong squad for the 2024 renewal.

“I’m looking forward to getting to work with the squad over the course of the tournament,” he said. “Over the course of the year the group has worked hard at the training camps and we like what we’ve seen both on and off ice.

“We have some really good talent here and hard-working athletes, but we’ve also seen some great character and attitude amongst this group and that’s exciting.

“Last year’s group had an exceptional tournament and we want to pick-up where we left off with this year’s group.”