TWO international hockey stars at a Colwyn Bay school helped Wales to a strong showing at a recent tournament.

Josh Thomas and Jacob Heaton-Rue, Year 11 and 10 pupils at Rydal Penrhos, produced a number of standout efforts at the EuroHockey5s U16 Championships, which were held in Poland last month.

The Welsh squad began their campaign with a sensational 12-5 victory over Georgia, before falling to a narrow 7-5 defeat to a strong Austria outfit.

They were undone by Denmark in a 9-4 reverse in game three, but the side bounced back and ended their campaign on a high with three successes to take their tally to four wins from six contests.

A superb display against Finland saw them secure a 10-2 triumph, before carrying this momentum into their clash with Lithuania, where they ran riot in a 7-1 win.

Last up for the group was a stern test against Croatia, and they turned in another resolute display to come away with a 6-4 result.

Director of Sport Allen Boyd, said: “This was another superb display as part of the Wales squad for both Josh and Jacob, who are proving that they really belong at national level.

“They have demonstrated on numerous occasions that they are two of the most talented young players in the country, and to get this experience will do their confidence the world of good.

“Both are very dedicated and have plenty of room to develop even further, and everyone at Rydal Penrhos is thrilled with their efforts with the national side.”