Roisin Upton has warned that Irish Hockey will need to secure funding if they are to continue competing against the best teams in the world.
This comes as the women’s team prepare for their first World Cup since 2002, having learned of their qualification earlier this month.
Upton says that the team have taken confidence from their performance in the World League in July, having only lost out narrowly to Olympic champions, England and Olympic bronze medalists, Germany.
“It’s just finding that consistency and really competing with them every time and finding a way to win… We have narrowed that gap hugely but we’ll just be trying to close it even further now in the next 8 or 9 months once we get to the World Cup.”
However she admits that if they team are to continue improving and competing at the highest level, they will need financial backing.
“When you’re trying to compete at the top, you’re competing against nations that don’t think twice about funding whereas we might be having team meetings, coming together thinking, ‘how could we do this? How could we fundraise here?'”
“We all know that you need to prove yourself to get funding, to get companies attracted to you but at the same time you also need the funding to take that step forward as well”.
As well as huge strides in fitness, nutrition and technical analysis, Upton believes that the key to team’s growing success has been the introduction of new players to the squad, bringing a new level of competition.
“We’re constantly trying to bring in new players who are really going to challenge the squad and grow the squad and really challenge for positions. Obviously competition within the squad is massive.”
Upton has come a long way since first picking up a stick in Crescent College and now she is determined to focus her energy on being picked for only the third ever Irish squad to head to a Hockey World Cup.
“When you’re growing up in Ireland, if you’re a GAA player, you dream about playing in Croke Park but as a hockey player you dream about getting to a World Cup or an Olympics.”
“It’s hugely exciting for the sport in general just to grow the sport in Ireland.”
You can listen to the full Sporting Limerick interview with Roisin Upton below:
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