The Hockeyroos have won bronze at the FIH Women’s World Cup 2022 in Spain.

The Aussies came from behind to snatch a 2-1 victory over Germany in the final, placing third overall after losing to reigning world champions the Netherlands in the semi-final.

Hockeyroos captain and SASI graduate Jane Claxton led the team to a win after being down 0-1 at halftime.

“We know we are a fit team and that towards the back end of the game we can still be playing our best hockey, and we had confidence in that today,” Claxton said.

“Out of this tournament we can’t doubt ourselves…we have a young team but also have some experience, so we can move onto future tournaments with more confidence of what we can achieve.”

The Hockeyroos went into the tournament with many new players who were competing in their first major international event, including SASI graduate Hattie Shand.

It hasn’t taken long for the 22-year-old to become an integral member of the squad.

SASI Head Hockey Coach Hugh Purvis has been working as the Hockeyroos Assistant Coach for a short-term campaign leading into the World Cup and he commended the bronze medallists on their outstanding performance.

“The team continued to improve every practice match in the lead up to the event and it’s really exciting to see what they’ve achieved,” Purvis said.

“For me it was unreal, my first major event with the Hockeyroos and to work with a great group of athletes and staff and win a bronze at the World Cup was unforgettable.

“Throughout the tournament I supported in various ways, scouting opposition, supporting the Head Coach on the bench on match day and working closely with the midfielders in line and individual feedback.

“I took lots of learnings around high performing match day operations and look forward to bringing these to SASI and SA State team programs.”

The Hockeyroos will now focus their attention on the Commonwealth Games where the team will face off against Kenya in the opening round.