OLYMPIC bronze medallist Sarah Robertson has been confirmed as Scotland’s new hockey captain as the build-up continues towards the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July.

The Selkirk-born former University of Edinburgh player, who has 107 Scotland and 62 Great Britain Caps, now plays for London club Hampstead & Westminster.

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Robertson, said: “I’m very proud. I’ve played over a hundred games for Scotland, and every time it’s a proud moment, but captaining your country is a huge honour and it’s not something I ever thought would happen.

“ I’ve been lucky to play in the squad under some amazing captains and it feels special to be added to that list.

“We’ve had a lot of progression recently with good wins against Ireland and Wales, and the squad is in an exciting fresh place, so I’m looking to help drive that and use my experience to help us keep moving forward.

“It’s a huge summer ahead, obviously the Commonwealth Games is pretty much the pinnacle for any Scottish Hockey players’ careers, so that’s a huge event, but then we have a huge tournament in France which is arguably more important because it’s all about retaining European status.

“It’s exciting to get a clear indicator of where we’re at. Obviously one of our main aims is to works towards being in the top ten in the world, so this summer will be a good start on that journey.”

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Sarah will be joined by vice-captain Katie Robertson who has 50 caps.

Kate is a teacher at Dollar Academy, who plays for The University of Edinburgh, and is from Freuchie in Fife.

Head coach Chris Duncan said: “Sarah embodies all the characteristics we would look to see from players in our squad and, critically, they possess a ferocious desire to succeed and help others.

“I have been amazed at their ability to drive standards and push others to constantly better themselves, but also at their empathy and understanding of the best route forward to make us better, not just as hockey players and a team on the pitch, but as a group of people.

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“They both possess a mindset that will leave no stone unturned in pursuit of our collective success and they will lead our squad with pride and energy in the coming months and years.”

“I have said many times that ‘everything you want is on the other side of hard’, and there will be times in the journey ahead when the players feel uncertain and, at times, think that the goals we set are impossible.

“However, we have a squad which is filled with inspirational women, who possess a special and unique set of skills and characteristics alongside their natural aptitude on the hockey pitch.”