November 23, 2022

The EIHA’s Head of the England National Team Programme (ENTP) has confirmed the introduction of a new transitional team to sit between the current England U15 and U17 Boys teams.

Andy Daintith and his coaching staff have been working out how best to meet the development needs of the critical age group of 13- to 17-year-old players, and with the number of players involved in the current ENTP Development Days it has been decided that an U16 Boys team would be a worthwhile addition to the programme. This is to help ensure that progression through the development pathway is maximised and opportunities are delivered in line with the EIHA’s ambitions for talent development.

The England U16 team was a staple component of the England programmes of the past, and there is a rich legacy of England U16 teams competing in several premier tournaments and events throughout Europe. With a change in the age groups within the EIHA junior programmes, the England U16 team was shelved and replaced by U15 and U17 which aligned with the Showcase (Conference) system as it then was.

Now, Daintith believes that in creating an U16 team, there is additional opportunity within the current ENTP to ensure that players from 12 to 16 years old can develop and compete alongside players of the same age. This is another big step forward for the player development ambitions set out last Autumn.

The new team will be led by long-standing Peterborough coach, Jon Kynaston, who is currently leading the EIHA’s Education Programme. Kynaston is also one of the EIHA’s Advanced and Elite Team Coaches, and is working alongside former ENTP Head Coach, Ben Pitchley. The coaching leadership team will be shortlisting coaches to work with Kynaston and the new-look U16 team, and a further announcement can be expected within the next few days.

Plans are being finalised for the next ENTP Development Day which will take place on 19^th and 20^th December 2022. Details will be sent out to players invited to the events being held in Hull and Cambridge in the next day or so.

Andy Daintith has confirmed an intention to send the U16 Boys team to the EMF Events being held throughout June next year which will be a mix of a development camp and a tournament. The U16 and U17 teams would be making the 5-day trip over the last weekend of June.