Life Rosie for Malone after cup call
MOLENDINAR’S Rosie Malone will make her World Cup debut next month after impressing Hockeyroos selectors with her last-minute appearance at May’s Tri Nations tournament in New Zealand.
The 20-year-old striker was yesterday named in an 18strong Australian squad for the World Cup in London from July 21 to August 5, less than a month after helping the Hockeyroos beat New Zealand in the Tri Nations final in Cromwell.
Malone was brought into the Tri Nations squad just two days before the start of the series against the Black Sticks and Japan, capping a whirlwind 48 hours that began with elevation into the Hockeyroos’ fulltime squad.
She returned to Australia late last month and had just two weeks to relocate to Perth.
Hockeyroos coach Paul Gaudoin said the World Cup would be significant on the road to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
“It’s an exciting team with some new faces. I am excited about what we can achieve,” Gaudoin said.
The cup squad also includes Cabarita Beach’s Madison Fitzpatrick.