If you ever see a fit, grey-haired lady doing ten-metre sprints – up, down (and sideways) on the Common Plott… accompanied by a confused small dog – that’ll probably be Kath Taylor!
Seventy international hockey teams are gathering in Cape Town in South Africa next month for the Hockey Masters World Cup.
Kath has been involved in Stone Hockey Club for thirty years, both as a player and a junior’s coach, and she’s been selected to be in the Scotland over-60s squad for this huge international event.
Kath commented,
“I’ve been playing in the Scotland Masters Team for several years now, and we’ve had some success at the W60 level at tournaments in Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. The World Cup has been postponed for two years and this is an opportunity to test ourselves on the global stage.”
Kath continued,
“International hockey for older people at this level is very serious; all the over-sixty Home Nation teams have players with GB Olympic medals. Training takes place every month in Edinburgh or Glasgow – we get our sprint times measured and are expected to keep our fitness levels high. None of this would be possible without the amazing support I’ve had, over many years, from the Stone Hockey Club family.”
An older team is obviously less mobile than younger squads, but with rolling substitutes and a tight formation, Kath’s team is hard to beat. Scotland starts off in a tough group with Argentina, South Africa II, Belgium and Wales, although England W60 are probably the favourites to win the tournament.
Kath’s friends and family have been cheering her on all through the campaign. Grandson Riley (13) commented,
“My super-fit Grannie is playing in a World Cup at 64 years old. That’s amazing. Good luck from us all!”
