Softball Australia are delighted to announce the Aussie Spirit team ahead of the WBSC Women’s World Cup: Group Stage, and the Australia ‘A’ team that will join our U-19 and U-17 teams at the Canada Cup Invitational Softball Championship.

The Aussie Spirit team are headed to the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup: Group Stage tournament in Fingal-Dublin, Ireland, tasked with qualifying for next year’s World Cup finals. Aussie Spirit Captain Clare Warwick leads a strong line-up that is a blend of youth and experience, with support from Vice-Captain Belinda White and five other Tokyo Olympians. Three debutants, Hayley Bonython, Grace Wrixon and Pippa Adkins join the line-up.

“It’s the first time the Aussie Spirit has been involved in the WBSC ‘s new world cup format and it gives us a great opportunity to play world class opponents two-years in a row,” said Aussie Spirit Head Coach, Laing Harrow. “The USA and Chinese Taipei are opponents we know will be tough and you never know what challenges unknown opponents like Great Britain, Ireland and Botswana could bring. We will have to be at our best to finish top two and qualify for the World Cup Finals next year.”

Australia ‘A’ has been created as a deliberate strategy for a stepping stone for players who are on the verge of Aussie Spirit selection. They join the U-19 and U-17 Australian pathway teams headed to the Canada Cup that were announced on Thursday.

“Australia A features a number of players who are playing college softball,” said National Pathways Manager, Clare Humberstone. “This provides an opportunity for them to be in the Australian team environment, bringing them together with other players pushing for Aussie Spirit selection and allow them collectively to face world-class opponents.”

As part of Softball Australia’s key focus to nurture the development of battery coaches, Andrew Havercroft has been appointed battery coach for the Australia A team, joining the appointments of Brooke Penfold and Lyneene Orsini to the U-19 and U-17 teams respectively.

“This is a challenging time for players as they balance life, careers, college, pro -ball, and injuries. At the recent AIS camp, it was great to see coaches, selectors, and support staff working together to really get good views on the depth we have across positions, as well as some to the challenges we face and where we need early intervention strategies in place,” said Softball Australia CEO, Rosie Williams OBE. “We are really pleased to announce what we believe are four strong squads to compete on the world stage.”

For all of those selected there are an equal number of athletes left disappointed by non-selection. Softball Australia will be supporting all players in the Elite Player Development and Talent Development Squads with high level training opportunities through the state-based Performance Training Centres, and a series of online educational sessions over the coming months.

“I have invited players who haven’t been selected on this occasion to embrace the challenge of setting aside their disappointment, working hard, and focusing their training in the areas that will help them improve their performance over the long-term. We look forward to engaging with them and supporting them over the coming months,” said Clare Humberstone.

Aussie Spirit Team for WBSC Women’s World Cup: Group Stage

Aussie Spirit Team Officials

Canada Cup Tour: Australia ‘A’ Team

Australia ‘A’ Team Officials