Two Australian Institute of Sport athletes, Elizabeth Duguid and Hollie Webster, will make their debut for the Australian Hockeyroos women’s hockey team, playing two matches against Argentina at the National Hockey Centre in Lyneham, Canberra, on 2 and 5 April. The Hockeyroos will also play two matches against Argentina on 8 and 9 April at Sydney Olympic Park.

Duguid and Webster will join Sally O’Toole (Queensland Academy of Sport) and Jacklyn McRae (NSW Institute of Sport) in their debut for the Hockeyroos.

Hockeyroos coach Adam Commens said it was important to provide new players with an opportunity to gain valuable experience at the international level, and this was a crucial aspect in the team’s preparation for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

‘After a successful tour of Argentina, we will continue the theme of exposing as many players as possible to international competition in the early stages of our preparation towards London,’ Commens said.

‘It is our intention to have an open selection policy during this phase so we can observe the different dynamics and combinations that are available to the Hockeyroos.’

Commens said all four of the debutants had earned selection in the Hockeyroos team after producing strong performances during recent matches with the Australia A team and at a national training camp earlier this year.

‘Hollie Webster did very well at the recent matches for Australia A against France and also at the training camp. We targeted giving her an opportunity in the first half of this year.

‘Elizabeth Duguid has really impressed with her goalkeeping for Australia A and we obviously rate Sally O’Toole quite highly after offering her an AIS scholarship earlier in the year,’ said Commens.

‘Jackie McRae has been a consistent performer for some time now for both Australia A and New South Wales and we felt that she deserved her chance at the international level.

AIS athlete Teneal Attard will also return to the Hockeyroos team after recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

The fifteen AIS athletes named in the Hockeyroos team for the Canberra matches are Teneal Attard, Madonna Blyth, Fiona Boyce, Jade Close, Toni Cronk, Elizabeth Duguid, Casey Eastham, Holly Evans, Marnie Hudson, Kobie McGurk, Ashleigh Nelson, Jodie Schulz, Jayde Taylor, Holly Webster and Kellie White. They will team with Renee Frost (VIS), Jacklyn McRae (NSWIS) and Sally O’Toole (QAS).

The five AIS athletes joining the Hockeyroos team for the Sydney matches are Jill Dwyer, Jade Warrender, Kandice Olivieri, Bianca Greenshields and Rachel Lynch, replacing McRae, O’Toole, Webster and Duguid.

‘This selection further highlights our policy of exploring new combinations as we attempt to find the right balance between youth and experience, speed and aerobic power, playmaking ability and solid tactical play,’ said Commens.

The AIS works in partnership with Hockey Australia to support the training and development of Hockeryoos players, providing access to specialist coaching and sports science expertise and state-of-the-art facilities.