Planet Field Hockey

WOMEN IN SPORT BY SARAH POTTER

RANCOUR and rumour, culminating in the English Hockey Association inquiry into the alleged misogynist behaviour of Jon Royce, the coach, continues to cast unwelcome shadows over the Great Britain women’s hockey squad, who disappointed so at the Sydney Olympics. Now, though, with the Junior World Cup about to begin in Argentina, two of the players involved are champing on their gum-shields for a sweeter taste of international competition.
Kate Walsh, who celebrates her 21st birthday in Buenos Aires, leads an England squad that includes Helen Richardson, her Hightown team-mate and fellow Olympian. Also selected is Walsh’s younger sister, Rachael. Their opening match is against Canada next Tuesday, and Walsh believes they can improve on England’s seventh-place finish in Korea. “It’s the nicest group I’ve worked with,” she said. “Everyone gets along brilliantly, which is amazing in a squad of 18 girls, and I think we can surprise a few teams.”

She was, though, more guarded about her Olympic team-mates. “I can’t comment on all the accusations flying around because we’ve had a Hockey Association letter telling us not to,” Walsh said. “But I do think Royce is one of the best coaches in the country, and in a year he turned my game around. If you’d seen me in October 1999, you’d have said there’s no way I’d make the final squad.”

Better still, Walsh emerged with considerable personal credit for her mature performances and was the obvious choice as captain in Argentina. “It does make a difference to have players who’ve been at big tournaments, especially in a young side like ours,” Walsh said. “One of the girls is only 15 and it probably helps, pressure-wise, that we’re not one of the favourites. But, with Russia, Korea and Canada in our group, we’ve got a good chance of qualifying.”

The dominant players at the under-21 international level mirror the seniors, so Australia, Argentina and Holland are the forces Walsh fears most. At least the crowds will not be as large or as hostile as the British players experienced in their opening encounter against Australia in Sydney. “I’d only ever played in front of about 2,000 people before then,” she said. “To have 15,000 all shouting for the other team is almost unreal and it takes a while to adjust.”

The Stockport-born defender has no qualms, though, that her 18-year-old sister will take it all in her stride. “She’s very skilful and has got great speed,” Walsh said. “I don’t think she’ll be fazed by anything and I certainly don’t feel any sense of extra responsibility towards her. Sometimes I close my eyes and think ‘Oh, my God’ when she launches one of her long passes, but they usually come off and are very decisive. The only advice I give her is to use her speed and toughen up a bit.”

Seemingly shy and gentle, with a round face and smiling blue eyes, it is a surprise to hear Walsh reveal an aggressive competitive nature. “I do shout on the pitch and knock people about a bit if I have to,” she said. “That’s just how it is.”

Necessary or not, Walsh admits her physical approach has the power to shock. “I’m doing a sports science degree at Brunel University in London,” she said. “My friends there used to think I was really quiet and soft until they saw me at hockey on a Saturday afternoon. For some people, that’s quite hard to understand, but off the pitch I wouldn’t have anything against anyone.”

The Astroturf surface can be as unforgiving as the most committed tackle and Walsh believes international careers will be shorter than in the past. “People like Karen Brown and Jane Sixsmith were around for ever and had hundreds of caps,” she said. “That’s probably going to be the exception rather than the rule now, but I never wish it could be less intense. Hockey is so much a part of my life that I want to play and enjoy it for as long as I can, or until I lose that little spark.”

Ultimately, Walsh intends to pursue a career as a personal trainer, though she admits another Olympic experience is a priority. “Sydney was frustrating, rather than awful,” she said. “We should have done so much better, but that’s what top-class sport is about. Players have to do it on the day, and we didn’t.

“I would love to go to Athens because I want to experience an Olympics again, to take it all in more. Having so many different sports and nations all together was unbelievably thrilling and, who knows, I might even get to do it all again with my sister in the team as well.”

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