Sport holds a central place in British culture, and the United Kingdom has played a key role in both the development and global spread of many sports. In the early stages of organized sport, the Home Nations were instrumental in establishing formal rules and forming some of the earliest governing bodies, national teams, and domestic league competitions.
England Hockey is the national governing body for the sport of field hockey in England. There are separate governing bodies for the sport in the other parts of the United Kingdom.
The Australia men's national field hockey team is one of the nation's most successful top-level sporting teams. They are the only Australian team in any sport to receive medals at six straight Summer Olympic Games (1992–2012). The Kookaburras placed in the top four in every Olympics between 1980 and 2012 winning gold in 2004; in 2016, the Kookaburras placed sixth. They won the Hockey World Cup in 1986, 2010 and 2014. They won the Hockey Champions Trophy 15 times, the most by any team. They also won the Pro League and World League twice each.
The Australia women's national field hockey team are, as of August 2023, ranked second in the world. Having played their first game in 1914, and their first Olympic game in 1984, they are one of Australia's most successful sporting teams, boasting three Olympic gold medals, two World Cup gold medals and four Commonwealth Games gold medals. The Hockeyroos have been crowned Australia's Team of the Year five times and were unanimously awarded Best Australian Team at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
Sean Robin Kerly is an English former field hockey player.
Jonathan Nicholas Mark Potter is the managing director of the House of Suntory and Maison Courvoisier at Suntory Global Spirits. He is a former field hockey player who was a member of the gold-winning Great Britain squad at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
Robert Stephen "Rob" Moore is an English field hockey player. Moore is amongst the most capped England players and was a key part of the team that picked up a silver medal at the Champions Trophy 2010 and a gold medal at the European Cup 2009. He appeared in the 2012 London Olympics.
The Pakistan national field hockey team represents Pakistan in international field hockey. Having played its first match in 1948, it is administered by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), the governing body for hockey in Pakistan. It has been a member of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) since 1948 and was founding member of the Asian Hockey Federation (ASHF), which was formed in 1958. Pakistan is one of the most successful national field hockey teams in the world with a record four Hockey World Cup wins.
The Great Britain men's national field hockey team represents the United Kingdom in some international field hockey tournaments such as the Summer Olympics and the FIH Pro League. The team won gold at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp and the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. The team won the 2017 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
Luciana Paula Aymar is an Argentine retired field hockey player.
Chloe Naomi Rogers is an English field hockey player midfield and forward and London 2012 Olympic bronze medal-winner. She made her senior international debut for the England women's national field hockey team in November 2003 versus Japan at Chelmer Park, Chelmsford, Essex. She holds a World Cup bronze, a Champions Trophy silver and bronze along with two Commonwealth Games bronze medals as well as European Championship bronzes. She is also one of the leading indoor hockey players in the UK.
Sports in Portugal are important in Portuguese culture. High-profile, successful competitive athleticism and sportsmanship in Portugal can be traced back to the time of ancient Rome. Gaius Appuleius Diocles was a noteworthy charioteer born in Lamego who became one of the most celebrated athletes in ancient history. He is often cited as the highest-paid athlete of all time. Football is the most popular sport in Portugal. Other than football, many other professional or semi-professional well organized sport competitions take place every season in Portugal, including basketball, swimming, athletics, tennis, gymnastics, futsal, rink hockey, team handball, volleyball, surfing, canoeing and rugby union championships among the hundreds of sports played in this country.
Kate Hollywood is an Australian former field hockey player who represented the Australian national team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and won two Commonwealth Games gold medals, in 2006 and 2010. Domestically, Hollywood played for the New South Wales Arrows in the Australian Hockey League (AHL). Known for her "speed, vision, and accuracy in passing", Hollywood played predominantly in midfield and was a member of the national team from 2005 to 2011, earning over 150 international caps.
Jamie Dwyer is an Australian field hockey player. He currently plays for YMCC Coastal City Hockey Club in the Melville Toyota League in Perth, Western Australia. He previously played for the Queensland Blades in the Australian Hockey League. He debuted for Australia as a junior player in 1995, and for the senior side in 2001. He played over 365 matches for Australia and scored over 244 goals. He represented Australia at the 2004 Summer Olympics where he won a gold medal and the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Olympics where Australia won bronze medals. He has also represented Australia at the 2006 Commonwealth Games where he won a gold medal and the 2010 Commonwealth Games where he also won gold. He has won silver medals at the 2002 Men's Hockey World Cup and the 2006 Men's Hockey World Cup. He won a gold medal at the 2010 Men's Hockey World Cup and the 2014 Men's Hockey World Cup. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to ever play the game.
Mark William Knowles is the Australian field hockey captain. He has played professional hockey in the Netherlands for HC Rotterdam. He plays for the Queensland Blades in the Australian Hockey League. He has been the captain of the Australia men's national field hockey team the Kookaburras since 2014. He won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2014 World Cup, the 2005 and 2012 Champions Trophy.His most recent achievements include coming second in the 2024 Memorial Cup match to the Northern Suburbs Eagles. Another silver medal was added to Knowles’s tally, with a lost to Labrador Hockey Club in the BHL Division 1 Grand Final.
Edward "Eddie" Clyve Ockenden is an Australian field hockey player. He plays in the midfielder and striker positions. He turned professional in 2008 and has played for teams in the Netherlands. He plays club hockey, having competed for a New Zealand team and Hobart, Tasmania side, North West Hobart Graduates (NWG). He also plays for the Tassie Tigers in the Australian Hockey League. He has represented Australia on the junior, intermediate, and senior level, earning a silver medal with the 2005 U21 team at the Junior World Cup.
Iain Lewers is a field hockey player from Northern Ireland who represented Ireland, England and Great Britain at international level. He represented Great Britain at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. He was also a member the England teams that won bronze medals at the 2011 Men's EuroHockey Nations Championship and 2014 Commonwealth Games. He also represented England at the 2013 and 2015 Men's EuroHockey Nations Championships and at the 2014 Men's Hockey World Cup. In both 2014 and 2015 Lewers was named the England/Great Britain Player of the Year by the Hockey Writers' Club.
Ellie Watton is a retired English international field hockey player who played as a forward for England and Great Britain. She made her first international appearance against South Africa on 4 February 2013. She retired from international hockey after competing in the 2018 FIH World Cup in London and has now resumed her teaching career, taking up a position at Rugby School in August 2018. She continues to coach and inspire the next generation of young hockey players
William Henry Weir is an English field hockey player who plays as a defender for Old Georgians and ex England and Great Britain national teams.
Deepika Thakur is an Indian field hockey player and is currently the most senior and highest capped player of Indian women's Team. She plays as a Defender in the senior team and has represented India over 200 outings and has scored 24 goals.
