Olympic failure will not rule out Royce

Jon Royce, the Great Britain Women's Olympic coach, has broken his silence over the team's disappointing display in Sydney. In a statement released on the eve of today's meeting of the players and staff involved in the Games, Royce said: "Nobody was more disappointed than me in finishing eighth in the Olympics."

Jon Royce, the Great Britain Women's Olympic coach, has broken his silence over the team's disappointing display in Sydney. In a statement released on the eve of today's meeting of the players and staff involved in the Games, Royce said: "Nobody was more disappointed than me in finishing eighth in the Olympics."

Royce contrasts the success of the squad's build-up to Sydney - when Britain achieved the best set of results leading up to any other Games - with failure to reach the semi-final stage for the first time. However, Royce has no intention of resigning. "I don't quit when things get tough," he said. "Provided our deliberations over the next couple of days concentrate on fixing the problem rather than the blame, I would like to build on the experience."

With both the women's and men's head coach posts being advertised in the next few days and the men's coach, Barry Dancer, on his way home to coach Australia, Royce may emerge as his successor.

EHA CUP FOURTH ROUND DRAW: Beeston v Northampton Saints; Belper v Firebrands; Bournville v Reading; Brooklands v Old Georgians; Cannock v Pelicans; Canterbury v City of York; Chelmsford v Blueharts; City of Portsmouth v Bath Buccaneers; Hounslow & Ealing v Teddington; Nottingham v Peterborough Town; Old Loughtonians v Ipswich; Oxford Univ. v Old de Ferrians; Robinsons v Surbiton; Shrewsbury v Guildford; Southgate v Bowdon; St Albans v Lewes.

Ties to be played on 26 November