Robertson says Scots can pull off an upset

TEAM SCOTLAND captain Sarah Robertson insists her team can pull off an upset at next month’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham after the women’s hockey squad was announced.

The Borders-born Olympic bronze medallist will lead the 18-strong team with a strong blend of experience and youth. Nine players are making their Commonwealth Games debut, while the other nine competed at Gold Coast. Scotland have been drawn in Women’s Pool B with Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Kenya and go into the tournament in high spirits.

Robertson, who was recently announced as squad captain, will play in her third Commonwealth Games but believes this time it will be different.

“Being captain offers a different dynamic for me and it’s a huge honour to captain the team at the Commonwealth Games,” she said. “The group is in a really good place so it’s exciting moving into the summer.

“We haven’t really seen much of some of the other countries. For example, Australia and New Zealand have only really been playing each other, so we’ve not had many matches against those countries. So it’s a bit of an unknown but we’re in a really good group and I think we can cause an upset.

“I think the squad is a really good blend of people who have been there and done it, and then some of the players going for the first time still have 50 or 60 caps.

“After Covid it’s so good to come together again as a team and then with other sports at a major event as Team Scotland. It’s a unique feeling, and a feeling that people have really missed, so it’s always special to wear the tartan and join together with the other sports.”

It will be a first Games experience for talented youngsters Bronwyn Shields, from Glasgow; Ellie Wilson, from Edinburgh; and Eve Pearson from Dunfermline. Pearson, 20, added: “I’m absolutely buzzing. It’ll obviously be my first Commonwealth Games and my first caps as well. This is huge for me. After I joined the squad I started to believe in myself.”