Oxfordshire's under 17 hockey girls are gearing up for their two big days later this month when they will represent the South of England.

They won their region, beating Surrey, Bucks, Hampshire, Berks and Sussex and drawing with Middlesex, finishing clear winners of their league, with a four-point lead over second-placed Surrey.

Their squad of 19 players will now travel to Haslemere, Surrey, to play four matches in the national finals on April 19-20 against West Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire and Devon.

In recent years, Oxfordshire girls have struggled to pick up many awards, so for this team, coached by Dave Bridle, to qualify for the national competition is a major achievement.