Louise Campbell retires from international hockey

After 48 caps and five goals for Scotland, EuroHockey Championship II gold medallist and Commonwealth Games athlete, Louise Campbell, has retired from international hockey.

Louise represented Scotland with pride on the biggest stages including Birmingham 2022; the EuroHockey Championships in 2015 and 2021; and at EuroHockey Championship II in 2019.

Announcing her retirement, Campbell said, “It’s time. I’ve done everything I can in international hockey and have had lots of injuries, but I feel like I’ve played my part and I’m happy to step away while I’m still playing well to just enjoy my club hockey.”

It all began in 2013 when Campbell was called up to the Scotland senior squad at a young age. The Scotland squad was building towards Glasgow 2014 and was on an incredible run with back-to-back EuroHockey Championship appearances. The squad was full of established talent, as well as new rising talent emerging to the squad.

Campbell was part of that rising talent, and she recalled, “When I first joined Scotland it was nerve-racking, but I was buzzing because I never thought I’d get that far. Sarah Robertson was already in the squad, and so was Robyn Collins and a few others, so I had some people I already knew in the squad, which was really good. The older players were all really encouraging as well, which was great.

“It was building up to Glasgow 2014 so the squad was really competitive but for me there was no pressure as I wasn’t expecting to be part of the Commonwealth Games. So it was just a great chance to learn from some of the Scottish Hockey greats, like Linda Clements; Nikki Kidd; Ailsa Wylie; Sam Judge; and Becky Merchant. These were iconic names to me, so to play with them and learn from them was incredible.

“To become friends with them was even more incredible – one minute I was watching them from afar then the next minute they were giving me a lift to training!”

It wouldn’t be long before Campbell would make her Scotland debut, and it came at Peffermill – a venue that the forward would call home for so much of her club career. Ireland was the opposition, but the match was not without incident.

Campbell explained, “My debut was supposed to be against South Africa at Peffermill but for some reason they didn’t make the game. Ireland were also there so we ended up playing them.

“Ireland didn’t have the correct kit so we ended up playing in bibs! It was still a really special day though. My family were all there, including my grandparents, which was great as they weren’t always able to come and watch me play. I was a rabbit in headlights, it was all a blur, and I was probably running at 100 miles per hour.”

Press Eye – Belfast – Northern Ireland – 13th June 2019
FIH WomenÕs Series Finals Banbridge 2019
Game: Scotland Vs Czech Republic.
Photo by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye .

Louise scored five goals for Scotland and the first came in a high-scoring win against Belarus. For Campbell, hitting the net that first time was a huge relief. She said, “I felt a lot of pressure to score a goal because I’ve never been one to score a lot of goals, and everyone in that game seemed to score a goal. It was 9-0 at the time and Amy Brodie was on route to score another and I just bashed in in front of her and completely stole her goal! I don’t think she was too pleased, but I just really needed to score.

“I was always one for doing the hard work, and I eventually just accepted I was a forward who put in the hard yards to set up others for goals. I was quite happy with that and doing my bit for others to score.”

After Glasgow 2014 Campbell felt like she was settling in to the Scotland squad. She felt like she’d learned a lot on the build up to the Commonwealth Games, and it was time to step up. But things don’t always go to plan and she ended up stepping away from international hockey for a few years.

Then in 2017, head coach at the time, Jen Wilson, invited Louise back to the squad and it was the right time for the forward to excel. Campbell explained, “I was really confident and I’d been playing so well for my club, and the next few years was probably when I played my best hockey. It was amazing coming back and I became a core member of the squad, but the main thing was how much I enjoyed it. It was a great time for me.”

The years that followed were among the most successful in Louise’s career, with many high moments. Winning EuroHockey Championship II in Glasgow in 2019 was the pinnacle for Campbell. Fondly, she recalled, “It was just so amazing. We got big crowds to come and cheer us on, and all our family and friends were there. To win the tournament the way we did, in front of a big Scottish crowd in Glasgow – it doesn’t get much better than that.

“Since I started to tell people I’m retiring I haven’t been emotional, but thinking back to the Euros in Glasgow now, I’m starting to feel it. That tournament was something special, and we all knew it at the time. We knew we could do something, and we did. It was extra special for me as I’d come back from a really bad place and I just enjoyed that time so much. We still talk about it now and I think it was the pinnacle for a lot of us.”

The next stop for Campbell was the EuroHockey Championships in Amsterdam; a well-earned prize for the squad who gained promotion from their success in Glasgow. Following the Covid-19 pandemic all thoughts turned to the Commonwealth Games at Birmingham 2022. Campbell miraculously recovered from injury to be selected and represent her country at the tournament.

Campbell said, “Birmingham was amazing. When you’re growing up you dream of playing at a Commonwealth Games, but being a competitive athlete, I just wish I could have done better.

“Six months before the Games I actually had shoulder surgery and I’d completely written off my chances of being there. I managed to recover but the rehab was brutal; I just thought that all that pain couldn’t be for nothing.

“It was so hard, but I made it, then came the realisation that I needed to perform. I just wish I could have performed like I did at the Euros in Glasgow. The experience was amazing though – life-changing even.

“That’s the thing about being a Scotland player, you get to play the best teams on the biggest stages. I remember playing the Dutch in A-Division and it was always a dream to play against them in A-Division. They were unreal. I remember near the end I managed to skin a couple of players and ping the ball out wide, and thinking it was one of the best things I’d ever done on a hockey pitch. The level of the opposition was immense.”

Scotland Women’s National Team Head Coach, Chris Duncan, led the tributes to Campbell, saying, “Louise’s characteristic high intensity pressing and hard running style brought individual and team success during her Scotland career and her impact was significant through her ball winning, and desire to create space and opportunity for others as well as herself.

“Although experiencing difficulty with injury, Louise showed exceptional strength of character to return in a stronger position each time, a behaviour she role modelled to the youngsters in the pathway and others within her team.

“Louise participated in a gold medal winning side in the 2019 European B Division in Glasgow, alongside a European A Division in 2015 & 2021 and the Commonwealth Games in 2022. A very special career indeed and one to be immensely proud of. I know Louise will go on to achieve great things in her career away from hockey, and we wish her every success.”

Louise Campbell, Scotland v Australia, 3/8/22
Photo: David McCarthy

When an athlete reaches the end of their international career there are always so many people for them to acknowledge, and thank, for their help along the way. For Campbell, there have been lots of influential female figures that she’d like to celebrate for the fantastic support they have shown throughout her career.

Campbell said, “I’m so lucky to have had so many female coaches in my career. Charlotte Jones was huge for me as a youngster at Grove Menzieshill; Sam Judge has been my coach for over a decade and is one of my best friends now; Jen Wilson was massive; and Vikki Bunce has been incredible. There were a few other great coaches when I was younger, like Sandra Robertson; Ialene Duncan; and Siobhan Penman at Perthshire. I really want to recognise the strong female role models who have had such a huge impact on me.

“Thanks to Maggie Hendry and Carrie McCrea from the Institute of Sport who have both been amazing doctors and physios.

“I want to thank my mum and dad; me playing hockey has actually been a massive part of their lives. They’ve been all over supporting me, which is actually a huge sacrifice, and they’ve been there through the hard times with injuries. It will have been tough for them to see that.

“My sister has probably been my biggest supporter, she’s amazing and absolutely loves cheering me on with my hockey. My brother does too and the whole family has been so supportive to me. Friends have been massive through the good and bad moments.”

A huge congratulations to Louise from all at Scottish Hockey on a magnificent international career.

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