Great Britain have made changes to the manager roles of the women’s teams.
Claire Rowbotham steps up from the U18s and has been appointed manager of the senior women, while Sarah Hutchinson takes up the position as manager of GB U18 Women.
Ice Hockey UK General Secretary, Andy French, said: “Claire has been outstanding in her role since she took over as manager of the under-18s in August 2019.
“She has also represented GB at the Youth Olympics and recently attended the IIHF’s High Performance camp in Vierumaki.
“Claire already has experience in the vital role of managing an international team and I have no doubt she will excel in her new role.
“I’d like to welcome Sarah to the management team. She knows the sport inside out and knows what’s needed in a dressing room as a GB Women’s player.
“She has a huge passion for the GB programme and experience in management outside of hockey, so is the perfect fit for the role.”
The new appointments mean Deb Cito will stand down from her management position with GB Women.
Cito took over the role in 2017 and was part of the gold medal-winning team in Spain earlier this year.
French added: “On behalf of Ice Hockey UK, I would like to thank Deb for her dedication to the women’s programme.
“The management role is such a vital part of the team and some of the things they do can often go unnoticed to the wider public.
“They are the vital cog in the wheel and Deb has been that for GB for the past five years.
“Although Deb is moving away from the GB Women’s National Team, we hope to see her back in the GB programme in a role that could emerge from one of the key progression initiatives that may flow from the recent UK Sport award.”