Talented hockey player Lily Copeland will travel up to Glasgow this Friday (July 11th) to play for Wales in the European Championships; a tremendous achievement that reflects her talent, dedication and love for the game.
Lily is the only North Wales player selected in the 18-strong Welsh squad taking part in the Under 18 Euro Hockey Championship, being played in Scotland.
Lily will face Switzerland on Sunday (July 13th) in her opening group game, before a tough match against home favourites Scotland on Tuesday (July 15th). Her final match in Pool A will be against the Czech Republic on Wednesday (July 16th) with the top two teams progressing to the knock-out stages.
The talented teenager made her Wales Under 18 debut in the Canada Series in April. She made an instant impact being named Player of the Match and scoring two sensational goals; a dream debut that announced her arrival on the international stage.
Since then, she has gone on to play against England Colleges (twice) and Scotland (twice) with six appearances to her name. She will win five more Welsh Caps during the nine-day competition in Glasgow.
Lily, who originates from Rhuallt, Denbighshire, made it into the Wales team in January this year following a gruelling year of trials, which began at the start of 2024.
Lily began playing hockey 10 years ago at school under the watchful eye of Rydal Penrhos teacher Mrs Jude Pyves, who she now plays alongside at Eirias Hockey Club, in Colwyn Bay. The Ladies 1st team have just completed a whole season without losing a match winning the League Title and Welsh Trophy in a stunning unbeaten season.
In 2021, she was the youngest member of the North Wales Under 13s team at the UK Lions National Tournament in Nottingham and went on to captain North Wales at the same competition a year later.
Last year, Lily was picked to represent the County (Eryri) to compete in the Hoci Cymru Under 15s County Championships. She was again handed the role of captain and led them all the way to the final in Swansea in February 2024. Off the back of her performance, Lily was selected to play for Wales in the prestigious School Games held at Loughborough University in July.
The hockey star began her pathway to the Wales team in Wrexham at one of three Regional Performance Centres set up to identify potential talent for the Hoci Cymru National Age Grade Squad (NAGS). She was nominated to attend trials in Cardiff where she spent seven weekends at training camps at the Welsh Institute of Sport from September to January, as they slowly whittled an initial group of around 70 of the best young players in Wales, down to a final squad of 24.
Lily made her debut in the first match of the Canada Series at National Hockey Centre, Cardiff, in April, having been selected in the matchday squad of 18. Her standout performance earned her selection to the European Championship squad as the sole North Wales representative. The other 17 players represent clubs based in South Wales, or are signed to clubs in England, making Lily’s inclusion all the more notable.
Principal Tom Hutchinson said: “We are delighted and so very proud that Lily has been chosen to represent Wales in the Under 18 Euro Hockey Championship. Everyone here at Rydal Penrhos sends their best wishes and we are excited to watch the next stages of Lily’s hockey career. Pwb Lwc Cymru!”
