British duo sign deals

Winger Kelsi Fairbrother (pictured) will play for Danish side TST Hjorring, who finished third in the First Division last season, while Team GB captain Lynn McCafferty joins Italian club Brixen.

Fairbrother, 19, is the first of the Britons in the World Class Handball Programme to sign a professional contract.

Playmaker McCafferty, 30, will aid Brixen in their aim to win immediate promotion back to the Italian top flight following relegation last season.

Lorraine Brown, British Handball's Performance Director, said: "It is wonderful news for both players, which is very much deserving.

"As graduates of the British Handball Academy they have worked extremely hard to achieve the level they are now playing at and I know they will continue to gain valuable competitive experience and look to make significant contributions in their new club's next season.

"More and more, we are seeing British handballers playing and making a positive impact in leagues across Europe. This can only enhance the performance level of GB teams as we work towards competing and making a competitive impact at the London 2012 Olympic Games."

The British Handball Academy also revealed that it expects other members of both the men's and women's squads to join several European clubs as their long-term preparations for the 2012 London Olympics enters a new phase.