Collie hockey star Belle Ramshaw selected in Australia’s Under 21 women’s junior team, the Jillaroos

Collie rising star Belle Ramshaw has continued her ascent through the hockey pathway after being selected in the Jillaroos squad in March — Australia’s under 21 women’s junior team.

The former South West Strikers player was one of two WA athletes picked in the squad which was selected after the Hockey Australia Domestic Series on the Gold Coast.

Ramshaw said she could not believe it when she found out she was chosen among 21 of Australia’s best under-age players.

“The feeling was unreal, you read your name on the list and your heart skips a beat,” she said.

“You can’t believe it’s happened really.

“There were some mixed emotions not seeing friends that attended the camp get in, but that’s part of a team environment, you care for your teammates.”

The first-time Jillaroo squad member said the Domestic Series gave her an opportunity to play against the nation’s best, which she had missed out on doing in recent years due to COVID.

“Going over there I was excited to play, we haven’t played at that level in a while,” she said.

“It was a good experience and good opportunity, and coming out of it I was prepared for it to go either way.”

For now, the 19-year-old defender will turn her attention to Hockey WA’s Premier League — where she has represented UWA for the past two seasons after the Strikers pulled out of the metropolitan competition.

Ramshaw said she was “over the moon” that hockey was back for 2022.

The midfielder said she was ready to do whatever she could to finely tune her game at the club level in the lead up to the Australian Under 21 Championships in Perth this July.

“I’m really just excited for the club season to start, we’ve been doing pre-season for a few months now, and we’re looking good,” she said.

“Being selected in this Jillaroos squad has really given me more hunger to take this next block seriously and smash it at 21s.”

The squad will be cut down to a final team after the Australian Under 21 Championships.