SURBITON’S Sarah Haycroft has revealed Team GB’s women hockey players are training under tournament conditions in order to be fit for the Brazil Olympics.

There are less than 100 days to go until the start of the Games in Rio, where the women will open their campaign against Australia, before facing India, Argentina, Japan and the USA.

It means they will face a demanding schedule of five pool games in eight days just to make the knockout stages of the Olympic tournament.

Haycroft and Surbiton clubmates Hollie Webb, Georgie Twigg and Giselle Ansley are among a 31-strong squad battling out to be in the final 16 heading across the Atlantic in August.

Haycroft, who skippered Surbiton to a sixth place finish at the Eurohockey Club Champions Cup event in Holland over the weekend, reckons no stone is being left unturned in terms of their preparations.

And competing with and against friends will only bring the squad together.

"It will be the most physical and intense tournament anyone has ever experienced,” she said in her exclusive Surrey Comet column.

“We have trained solidly for the last four years to ensure that we can cope with those physical and mental demands.

“We now have special 'five games in eight days' weeks where the intensity is ramped up even higher to make sure we are prepared.

“These weeks will include extra running sessions after training and gruelling gym sessions.

“It is also so important that we come together as a team and often getting through some horrendous running after a tough hockey session really does unite the team.”

Surbiton were knocked out of the Champions Cup quarter finals last Friday after a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of UHC Hamburg.

They went on to lose 3-2 to Canterbury in Monday’s fifth and sixth place play-off to end an otherwise successful season on a sour note.

Meanwhile, Surbiton’s youngsters claimed another two national titles and were runners-up in the other two on another successful weekend for the club.

On Saturday, the U12 girls retained their title and the U12 boys were runners-up at Highfields Hockey Centre in Nottingham.

The U14 boys just missed out on national glory, losing on penalty strokes, while the U14 girls made it four titles in a row at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre.