British Army women aiming to end their bad run against reigning Inter Services champions

The first match of the 2024 Inter Services football championship will provide a real test for the British Army women's team in Aldershot.

They face the reigning champions from the RAF on Tuesday with live coverage on the Forces News YouTube channel set to begin at 18:45 GMT.

But what will be different for the Army in 2024 after a number of disappointing years in Inter Services competitions?

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"We're one team and we've got one goal – winning it," said Army captain Bombardier Anna Birtwhistle.

"We're going in with that mindset and being a team is what will set us above the standard, I reckon."

The Army have taken a different strategy to Inter Services preparation this year with more of a focus on competitive fixtures in the Southern Counties Cup.

Assistant Coach Warrant Officer Class 2 Ash Cunningham is filling in for regular head coach, Warrant Officer Class 2 Ryan McDowell, who is away on deployment.

He thinks the competitive sharpness may give them the edge.

"One thing we wanted to do was change the mindset of the players to make sure every game that we play was competitive and had something up for grabs," he said.