Chloe Watkins
Hockey
BIOGRAPHY
Chloe Watkins represented Ireland in the women’s hockey tournament at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where Ireland finished 10th.
Watkins came from a family steeped in hockey – her father Gordon and brother Gareth both played for Ireland – and attended St Andrew’s College in Dublin, where she captained the school to a Leinster Senior Cup title in 2010. She made her senior debut for Ireland in July 2010, just weeks after completing her Leaving Cert, and went on to earn over 230 caps. She is best remembered for her shoot-out expertise: at the 2018 Women’s Hockey World Cup in London she scored the decisive penalty in the quarter-final win over India and another in the semi-final win over Spain, and she made her 200th senior cap in the final itself as Ireland claimed silver.
Her coolness under pressure was again evident during Ireland’s first-ever Olympic qualification in November 2019, when her penalty in the shootout against Canada – followed by a now-famous wink to goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran – helped Ireland secure their historic place at Tokyo 2020. Watkins previously played club hockey in Spain with Club de Campo de Madrid and in the Netherlands with HC Bloemendaal. She is a qualified accountant and retired from international hockey in 2024.
OTHER HOCKEY ATHLETES
HOCKEY NEWS
Events Coming up in June 2026
Hockey IRL Men - FIH Hockey Nations Cup - South Africa - June 11 to 20 IRL Women - FIH Hockey Pro League Netherlands Stage - Rotterdam - June 13 to 18 IRL Women - FIH Hockey Pro League Germany Stage - Berlin - June 23 to 27 Swimming Sette Colli International, Rome, Italy, 26-28 [...]
LA28 Qualification Dates in 2026
ROAD TO LA ALREADY UNDERWAY! 2026 marks the beginning of the qualification journey for many sports as they look ahead to the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. Qualifying for the Games, which take place from 14–30 July 2028, is challenging across all disciplines. Most sports require either direct qualification through specific events, qualification via [...]
Turning Pain into Progress: Ireland Hockey Captain Sarah Hawkshaw Reflects on Olympic Setback and World Cup Qualification Success
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In the News – 9 March 2026
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Sport Events Coming up in July
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In The News – June 16th
Men’s Hockey | Ireland Edge Belgium in FIH Pro League Thriller Ireland secured a stunning 3–2 victory over world-ranked #2 Belgium in Antwerp - their first win of the 2024/25 FIH Pro League season. Louis Rowe opened the scoring; Lee Cole struck twice with penalty corners. Jaime Carr delivered a Player of the Match performance, [...]