The team become the second Welsh club competing in the National League

PENARTH Ladies Hockey Club's first team have been promoted to the National League for finishing second in the West Clubs Women's Hockey League last season.

Penarth will now compete against English clubs in the top tier of women's hockey, the National League Conference, in the upcoming season.

Hockey Wales had been deliberating over how the leagues would be determined this year, because teams were not able to finish the 19/20 season.

Coach Dafydd Tomos said: "I was half anticipating it, but it's massive. Not just for us but it's massive for hockey in South Wales.

"We are over the moon. We are probably not getting as excited as we should because of the circumstances in which it happened, had we finished the season and got promoted we'd be having parties, but because of the way it's happened we haven't really been able to celebrate."

Team captain Amy Podmore said: "It is unbelievable, and I never thought in a million years I would be playing my best hockey at 38, it is fantastic."

The only other Welsh team to compete in the National League is Swansea Ladies. They play in the Premier Division; Penarth will play below them in the Conference.

Ms Podmore said: "Not only is it brilliant on a personal level, but it's brilliant for the club and for Welsh hockey to have two women's clubs playing in the national league."

The promotion creates new opportunities for Penarth. The success of rivals Swansea has meant most players who represent Wales have come through their system, but now Penarth are competing nationally that may not be the only route.

Mr Tomos said: "What has been happening is the main player base has always been in the Cardiff area, and all the clubs around Cardiff have been bringing on juniors and then they all leave to go to Swansea if they are good enough, so now what we are going to offer is somewhere in Cardiff where those players can progress and play at the higher level."

The ambitions for next season are clear, Penarth want to make an impact on the league. Mr Tomos said: "For the first season it's not just a case of surviving, we'll be aiming for top five at least.

"With our promotion as well, we will attract players so I'm hoping to strengthen the squad. We are losing some juniors to universities at the end of this season, which is a shame, so there will be gaps in our squad that need to be filled."

Ms Podmore said: "I just want us to be able to hold our own, I want us as a team to perform and show that we deserve to be there. It is going to be a big step for us we are going to be playing teams that have been playing at a higher standard longer than we have, and I want us to be able to be good competition for other teams."

Penarth's chances of competing In Europe also increase. Mr Tomos said: "That's been my biggest ambition really since I started working with them as much as the leagues, is getting the girls playing in Europe, because some of the older players in the squad have had it before, and we've shown that were easily the second-best team in Wales by quite a long way."

The highest ranked National League team in Wales play in Europe, a spot is also guaranteed to whoever wins the Championship Trophy, one of the cup competitions in Wales.

English lockdown restrictions on sport have been less strict than those in Wales, so Penarth have had less time on the pitch than English teams.

Mr Tomos said: "We had some players in local lockdown, and they weren't allowed to train with us, and the club had loads of measures put in. We had track and trace, and had hygiene pitch-side, so there was a hell of a lot of work for very little hockey that was played. Now we just want to get on the pitch and play as soon as we can."

Ms Podmore said: "We've found other things to do but it's just important to keep ourselves fit and keep in contact, so we don't forget about each other.

"It's not just about the sport it's social as well, it's escapism from work and general life, it's seeing your mates, it's fitness, it's those drink afterwards, so we have missed it massively."