Junior England international hockey player Sienna Dunn was honoured with a prestigious award last week.

The former Valkyrs player was the winner of the youth girls 18-and-under accolade at Hockey Writers’ Club’s 2022 youth and junior awards ceremony, receiving her trophy from England and Team GB star Tess Howard.

The judging panel sought information from coaches, clubs and schools, with the judges considering not just hockey ability but players’ personal qualities and potential for future development.

Past winners of Hockey Writers’ Club awards include Rio Olympic Games gold medallists Maddie Hinch and Sophie Bray.

Since starting her hockey at the Manx Youth Games, Dunn continued to develop at Valkyrs in Peel where she played as a junior in all the age groups until turning 13 when she was allowed to play in the senior women’s and mixed leagues.

She was selected for England under-16s trials and navigated through strict Covid restrictions in the island as she enjoyed her first international experience playing a Home Nations competition.

In the England u18 programme, Sienna was made captain for the matches which ran alongside the Women’s World Cup in Terrassa, Spain.

Only last month, Dunn helped Ripton win the Super 6 trophy at the Copper Box Olympic venue in London.

Praising the Manx player, an England Hockey junior coach said: ‘Sienna is a stand-out character in the England environment. She leads by example and delivers consistently on the pitch with a very relentless nature and she helps deliver a competitive yet supportive environment.’

l The awards lunch took place on Wednesday, February 8 at Royal Thames Yacht Club, Knightsbridge, London.