sopp+sopp’s very own Bethan McCarthy has been selected to play for England at the World Roller Games taking place this month!
Bethan, Technical Claims Handler for the Insurance Customer team, has played roller hockey at a competitive level for many years. We’re proud to say she’s been selected as captain of the England Women’s Roller Hockey squad when they go to compete at the World Roller Games this year.
We sat down with her to have a chat about how she got into the sport, what it means to her to compete, and to find out more about the tournament starting 16th September!
How did you get into roller hockey?
I was put straight onto a roller rink as soon as I could walk! I took to it immediately and absolutely loved skating, so when my mum gave me a leaflet about trying roller hockey when I was 11, I signed up.
11 is actually quite late to start, but already having around 7 or 8 years of skating experience gave me an edge over others learning. Over the years since, I stuck with it and started playing competitively as I enjoyed it so much.
What is it that draws you to Roller Hockey?
I have grown up with it, and it’s given me so many opportunities to travel and compete across the world.
I love skating, and I love playing for my roller hockey club and for the country – I’ve had a lot of success playing competitively which I’m so proud of.
Can you describe your sporting journey so far?
I started playing in the under 17s roller hockey team, and became a senior player at 14, which is the youngest that you can do this. I also started playing internationally at this age, too.
My international career has taken me to tournaments across the world, including China, Germany, France, Spain and Italy. I’ve also spent a few months living in Spain to train. I’m now one of the oldest and most experienced players!
Unfortunately, there is no funding in England for my sport. I’ve had to rely a lot on my parents’ support and been so lucky that they’ve been able to help me continue to play competitively as it has been expensive to travel and take part in tournaments.
A lot of European countries do fund their roller hockey players’ development and participation in tournaments, so their players are often more advanced and experts in the sport. Having the opportunity to play them when England qualify for these tournaments makes me so proud considering the lack of infrastructure and support for us.
Do you also play for a local team?
I play in the Premier League for King’s Lynn; it’s a mixed-sex team as unfortunately there aren’t any women-only teams in this sport at club level in England.
I am the only woman to play in my team, the rest are all men, and I do feel that over the years this has pushed me to be faster and stronger so I can make my mark on the team.
King’s Lynn have won the league for 8 years in a row, and I’m also proud to say that I have been female top scorer, and even won Female Player of the Year, across the entire country.
What was the selection process for the tournament?
You are invited to participate in a special selection training practice – this is an opportunity for all the women across the country to play in one place and showcase their skills.
A reduced squad is selected, and then it is condensed further into the final squad. This consists of 8 players and a goalkeeper.
I’m an all-round player who can play anywhere on the rink, and I was also selected to be the captain of the team!
How does the tournament work?
For the first time, we’ve been placed in Group A for the World Roller Games – this is because we placed well in the European competition by finishing in the top 5. This means we’ll be playing against the best teams in the world, which is incredible considering the level of funding these countries get for the sport compared to us.
Our first three games are part of the group stage – these are against Italy, Spain and Chile, and our first game is at 7pm on the first day. Following this, there’ll be games to play every day until the tournament concludes.
When is the tournament taking place, and how can we watch it?
The tournament takes place in Novara, Italy, and begins on the 16th September.
Anyone can watch the games online – you can check back on the England Roller Hockey page/social media for the links when the tournament begins!
You can find out more about roller hockey in England here – the sport doesn’t get any official funding, so they rely on donations to help support their players to attend international tournaments.
Best of luck Bethan, we’re all behind you!
