Hockey: Dutch pick up world awards

While the Dutch have been less dominant in recent weeks, with England beating their women on Thursday and our men scoring two wins against them last September, the trademark orange was draped over the World Hockey Player of the Year awards with three Dutch players taking the honours in Sydney yesterday.

Teun de Nooijer won the men's senior award with compatriot Mijntje Donners taking the women's title and Maartje Scheepstra, 23, winning the Young Women's award. The Dutch monopoly was broken by Australian forward Grant Schubert claiming the Young Men's title. Britain's only nomination in the two fields was England's 23-year-old captain, Kate Walsh.

Back home, two England B squads have been announced to depart on Monday for 10-day training trips to South Africa.

Men's squad: J Fair, S Cordon, R Lane, A West, M Taylor, (Cannock), N Brothers (Firebrands), J Bleby, I Mackay, G Kirkham, (Loughborough Students), J Clarke, S Mantell, R Mantell (Reading), M Daly, D Emery, J Southgate & J Grice (Surbiton), R Moore (Teddington), A Wilson (Beeston).

Women: H Brown (Canterbury), A Danson & S Farmer (Trojans) B Duggan (Woking), A Garrad, I Robertson & I Palmer (Clifton), C Gilliat Smith, L Wooding & C Rogers (Chelmsford), C Hartley (Hightown), K Moore, V Hawkins & R Walsh (Olton), B Herbert (Quackers, Jersey), A Panter (Fyffes Leicester), B Storry (Kampong), E van Poortvliet (Harleston Magpies), C Strong & S Archer (Slough).