THREE pupils from Sedbergh School have been selected for Junior Regional Performance trials in Durham this month for Northern England squad selection.

Josie Coulthard, 15, from Carlisle, Isabel Chamberlain, 14, from near Kirkby Lonsdale, and Emilia Tyser, 17, from Northumberland, played six training sessions in Kendal last week and then competed against East Cheshire, West Cheshire and Lancashire, in front of North of England selectors.

The next will take place on the June 20.

Tyser, captain of the Sedbergh School Hockey team, said: “I really have my sights set on playing National League hockey at Loughborough, which I hope will lead to trials for England Under 21s. Our hockey coach here gives us a lot of focus and one-to-one training, and the current Under 15 team were unbeaten this year.

"They hope to reach the Under 16 Nationals next season. I probably train for between four and five hours on top of normal games lessons, and possibly more during the Hockey season.

"This level of coaching held great appeal to me when I chose to board at Sedbergh but the thing that really stood out for me was the family atmosphere and it’s the same in all of our teams.”

Coach Mark Shopland said: "The girls at Sedbergh are really starting to flourish under the extra guidance they get from our coaches outside of the usual games sessions. Providing their study is up to date, hockey sessions are available for those that would like them.

"Over the next few years I am certainly expecting the hockey to grow as our fixture list is already one of the toughest in the country with games against current national champions Stockport as well as Kirkham, Millfield and Wellington."