This week could turn into a special occasion for one of Bedford’s biggest hockey prospects, with Maddie Axford celebrating a call-up to the senior England squad for the first time as they return to FIH Pro League action in India.
Axford, who hails from Bedford Hockey Club and Bedford Girls’ School, travels to the Kalinga Stadium situated in Bhubaneswar in the Eastern state of Odisha, as the nine-team FIH Pro League continues from 15 February.
Axford has continued to make her way up the professional ranks since her days at Bedford Hockey Club and Bedford Girls’ School, with appearances already for England Under-21s and Team GB Under-23’s under her belt.
She has also performed well in the Women’s Elite Development Programme for Team GB, leaving her well placed to seal her maiden full international call up.
Appearances at the EuroHockey Junior Championship in Belgium and the Women’s Junior World Cup, where she gained a bronze medal in Potchefstroom in South Africa, have also followed.
She will now hope to play a part in helping England up the FIH Pro League rankings after just one win from their opening four fixtures, leaving them in sixth place in the early stages.
“I’m thrilled to be selected for the England Women’s Senior team”, said Axford.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to compete at the highest level and represent my country.
“I’m excited to play in the FIH Pro League in India, and I look forward to the challenge of performing on such a prestigious stage in front of passionate fans. It’s a huge milestone in my career and I can’t wait to take the next step.”
England will play fixture hosts, India twice and The Netherlands twice, beginning with India on Saturday 15 February.
Home double headers against Argentina, Australia and Spain follow in June before the final set of games against Germany in Berlin; quite the globetrotting journey since Maddie’s days at Bedford Girls’ School.
“Maddie’s selection for the England Senior Women’s Hockey Team is a testament to her hard work, dedication and passion for sport,” said Bedford Girls Schools’ Director of Sport, Verity Mason-McLeod.
“As she embarks on this next chapter of her hockey career, there is no doubt that she will continue to make a lasting impact on the international stage.
“Maddie has a very exciting future ahead of her where she will compete alongside some of the most accomplished players in the game, and I have no doubt she will be a huge figurehead in women’s hockey for many years to come”, added Verity.
Maddie is in her final year studying International Media and Communications at University of Nottingham, where she also represents the university in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) competition.
She captained the University of Nottingham to victory in the 2024 ICG Women’s Hockey Championship Finals, leading her team to a 2-0 win over the University of Birmingham at Loughborough University.
All of the FIH Pro League fixtures can be seen on Channel 4’s YouTube channel, beginning with India vs England on 15 February at 11.45am.
