Rising south Shropshire hockey stars Luke and Ben Carless will be brothers in arms this summer as they pursue their international ambitions – in the same Wales team.
The Wistanstow brothers have progressed through the ranks at various age levels, and for the first time will be side by side in Welsh national colours this June.
The pair will represent Wales under-21s in the prestigious Celtic Cup in Edinburgh where they will pit their wits against France, Scotland and Ireland.
And the following month they will travel to Italy to fly the Welsh flag in the Euro Hockey Trophy against a number of European nations.
It’s a proud moment for the brothers and their family who have followed their progress closely on both the club and international stage.
“For the first time this summer they will be in the same Welsh side which is quite unusual,” said mother Jean Carless.
“They must be the first brothers from south Shropshire to play in the same Wales side.
“In the past they have missed each other. When one has gone into one age group, the other has moved up to another, so it’s nice they’re now in the same side.
“They have both played well enough to be selected and are looking forward to playing in the same side as they have a lot of respect for each other.
“It’s going to be a busy time for them, but they’re both ambitious and hopefully they will bring back medals for their efforts.”
This week the brothers had just returned from flying the Welsh flag in the Great Britain Super League for under-25s, a competition identifying young GB stars of the future.
The event, involving the country’s top rising talent, took place over two weekends in Cannock and Edinburgh with teams representing Wales, England and Scotland.
Although the competition did not earn them a cap for their country, it provided further experience in their careers which see both players juggling their college work with the sport.
Playing for the Celtic Panthers and representing Wales under-25s, they helped their team convincingly win two games out of four. On both occasions they beat Scotland – a rarity for the Welsh – before finishing third overall in the event.
And the brothers will be hoping to take further strides in the competitive world of hockey in the future as they chase senior Welsh honours and Great Britain recognition –with the Commonwealth Games and Olympics their big targets.
Luke is a 20-year-old attacking midfielder while Ben, three years his junior, is a defender, and they would have certainly boosted their prospects in last weekend’s GB Super League action.
Although having close affiliation with south Shropshire, and Ludlow Hockey club in particular, their talent has now taken them to national league clubs outside the area.
Luke, who is studying at Bath University, plays for Team Bath while Ben, a student at Shrewsbury Sixth Form College, sports the colours of Stourport.
And while they will play alongside each other in the Welsh under-21 side this summer, the brothers are set to be rivals next season when they come face to face with their respective clubs.
While the league season may be over, the summer provides no let-up.
After representing the under-21s in June, they then fly out the following month to play in the Euro Hockey Trophy in Italy.