Upton and Ireland must defy World Cup odds again

Róisín Upton of Ireland takes a shot from a penalty corner during the Women's Hockey international friendly match between Ireland and Malaysia at Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin. Pic: Mark Kavanagh/Sportsfile

RÓISÍN Upton had no intention of upping sticks and leaving home but a lifetime of learning both on and off the hockey pitch had taught her to go with the flow when opportunity knocks.

So that's what she did and it is why, as she prepares for her third consecutive World Cup finals with Ireland, the Limerick woman feels like she is on very familiar ground in the Belgian city of Wavre.

Upton was once a primary school teacher, but she left the profession to pursue a full-time hockey career when she realised that there wasn't a workable solution to balancing her high-demand sporting commitments with taking on a permanent classroom role.

She went into strategic planning instead and became Director of Operations with Studio SAOL, a strategic design consultancy and, last year, made the decision to continue that work from Belgium after she joined Antwerp club Braxgata along with Ireland captain Sarah Hawkshaw.

"I would have always loved to play in Europe, but I certainly felt that that ship had sailed," said Upton, who previously spent four years on scholarship at the University of Connecticut.

"So when the opportunity arose last March, Braxgata were looking for a centre-back. Myself and Sarah had actually been living together in Dublin and Sarah separately had contacted the club as well, she had reached out to a few.

"It just so happened that we ended up moving from Dublin together over to Braxgata, which was great and made it seamless for the two of us. But it was an opportunity that I couldn't turn down.

"We're very fortunate with our employers that they support our big, crazy, audacious dreams and work continues on the side."

While Hawkshaw will return to Braxgata after the World Cup, Upton is returning to her first club, Catholic Institute, for this coming season.

It was previously a focus for players to remain in the country as an emphasis was placed on keeping squad members at close quarters, but the thinking has shifted.

Upton can only see the upside to Irish players moving abroad in terms of being able to compete with the best in the world, as will be the case in the coming days at the World Cup.

"A hundred percent, yeah," she stressed. "I think it's helped. Maybe 14 players went abroad to play from our squad of 28 last year and that number is going to increase next season to 18 or 19.

"I think we've seen the benefit of it, and it's probably twofold. One, to take yourself out of your comfort zone for a number of our players; it's the first time that they left home and they're getting to go play in one of the best leagues in the world.

"And then two, it just familiarises yourself with who you're playing against and probably takes them down a notch too that, you know, everybody has two arms and two legs."

Upton could see that for herself at her first World Cup in that glorious summer of 2018 when Ireland cut a dash in London, defying all the odds to reach the final.

Only herself and Katie Mullan remain from the squad. Ireland finished 11th in the 2022 finals, and they will need to find serious momentum over a quick-fire schedule to progress from their group this time.

They face close rivals Spain in a pivotal opening on Sunday (7.30pm Irish time), then New Zealand on Tuesday morning (10am) before a final group showdown with the co-hosts on Thursday night (8.30pm).

"The reality is nobody's thinking we're going to get out of our pool," said Upton. "And I suppose we're just quietly confident in our preparation and we're really looking forward to that challenge."

So much could hinge on the first game and the two sides have met frequently over the last few years. "It's always gone one way, then the other, so we put in a lot of work for this one," explained Upton.

Spain's man-to-man style tactics have been poured over by head coach Gareth Grundie and his players, as that approach differs from most other countries that like to play a structured game, including Ireland.

"We put a lot of work into that, so that's what we're taking most of our confidence from," Upton confided. "We're kind of fortunate enough as well in New Zealand to play a similar style. So it's been a big emphasis of our preparation.

"Spain just ask different questions. You're used to playing against different structures that you're looking to break down and, all of a sudden, it becomes more man-to-man.

"Fortunately for a group of us, we grew up playing GAA. So it's not totally new."

Women's World Cup fixtures (times Irish)

August 16: Ireland v Spain, 7:30pm 

August 18: Ireland v New Zealand, 10am 

August 20: Ireland v Belgium, 8:30pm