WALES goalkeeper Rose Thomas has taken a big step towards representing Great Britain.

Abergavenny’s Thomas has received a call-up to the Great Britain Hockey senior programme along with fellow Welsh internationals Sarah Jones and Dan Kyriakides.

They are the first players from the principality to do so since Merthyr Tydfil’s 2012 Olympian Sarah Thomas, who won a bronze medal in London.

Jones, Thomas and Kyriakides have all been recognised as high potential players and will spend two days a week with the Great Britain centralised training programme at Bisham Abbey.

Dan Clements, who oversees the Wales performance pathway, described the news as a well-earned reward for the players and the Welsh set-up.

“We are really pleased for Dan, Rose and Sarah after they received news of their selection,” he said.

“After such a positive year for GB Hockey and our Welsh senior teams, this is just reward for their hard work as individuals, as well as the playing group and management as a collective.”

Over the past two years, both Wales senior men’s and women’s teams have beaten nations ranked considerably higher than them.

For those selected it is a crucial first step on the way to representing Great Britain internationally.

The trio were chosen following an assessment period that ended in December and the invitation means they will gain experience alongside Britain’s best players, including reigning Olympic champions, as well as access to world-class coaching and support services.

Their inclusion in the senior programme will also see them subject to regular reviews as they look to gain a place in the GB Hockey set-up on a full-time basis during the Tokyo 2020 or 2024 cycle.

Clements continued: “Their selection is great recognition for them as players and it clearly highlights their potential, with Tokyo or 2024 obviously being their long-term ambitions.

“Training with the GB programme on a weekly basis is going to be a huge boost for them, and working with staff on the Olympic programme will no doubt allow them to take their game much further.

“We are very proud of their achievement and confident they will maximise the opportunity to its fullest.”

The group next compete for Wales in the World League Round Two, with Jones and Thomas, who represent Holcombe and Wimbledon at club level, are currently in Kuala Lumpur ahead of the women’s competition, which starts on Saturday.

Cardiff & Met’s Kyriakides, who represented GB Under-23s last summer, will hope to be named in the men’s squad for their equivalent event in Ireland from March 11-19.

Clements added: “We are very grateful for the support Sport Wales has provided on this journey and we hope Dan, Rose and Sarah are the first of many over the coming years, as players continue to thrive within the Hockey Wales performance pathway.”