England Hockey announced on Sunday 11 May that Hollie Pearne-Webb, the England and Great Britain captain and Olympic gold medallist, has retired from international hockey at the age of 34 after 274 combined caps and more than 12 years in the senior game.
Pearne-Webb represented Britain at three Olympic Games, including the Rio 2016 campaign in which she scored the winning goal in the shootout against the Netherlands, giving the British women their first Olympic title. She also appeared at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
In a statement released by England Hockey, she said: “I’ve made the incredibly tough decision to retire from international hockey.”
The announcement ended a senior international career that began with a first cap in 2013 and included three Olympic Games.
The Career
Pearne-Webb made her senior international debut in 2013 and finished with 274 combined caps for England and Great Britain. She was a member of the Great Britain squad that won gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics, scoring in the shootout against the Netherlands to secure the title, as recorded by BBC Sport.
She was appointed captain in 2018 and led Great Britain to Olympic bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Games, where the team beat India 4-3. She went on to captain England to a first Commonwealth Games gold medal at Birmingham in 2022, defeating Australia in the final. She also played at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Great Britain lost a quarter-final to the Netherlands, the eventual champions.
Her honours include two Olympic medals, three Commonwealth Games medals and three European medals. Her two Olympic medals came at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. She was named player of the tournament at the 2017 European Championships, according to BBC Sport.
In Her Words
In a statement issued as part of England Hockey’s announcement on 11 May, Pearne-Webb said: “It’s hard to put into words just how much this sport has given me. What started as a dream when I was just eight years old, to one day play for my country at the Olympics, became a journey that’s been greater than anything I could have imagined.”
“One of the greatest honours has been leading England and Great Britain over the past six years. Captaining this team at two Olympic Games and a home Commonwealth Games has been an immense privilege,” she said.
She captained England and Great Britain from 2018, leading the side at two Olympic Games and a home Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
“Walking the team out last summer in Paris, in front of friends and family, was a truly special moment and one I’ll never forget. I’ll always be proud to have worn the shirt, and I’ll always be a supporter of the incredible players coming through. Thank you, hockey. It’s been the honour of a lifetime.”
She added that she would remain a supporter of the players coming through the programme.
The Team’s Response
England and Great Britain head coach David Ralph paid tribute, saying: “Hollie has made an outstanding contribution to England and Great Britain since her first cap in 2013. Hollie was an excellent, incredibly intelligent defender. Seeing Hollie’s resilience to overcome those setbacks, while remaining focussed on the team was very inspiring. Hollie was a great player and more than that she is an outstanding person.”
The tribute was published as part of England Hockey’s announcement of her retirement.
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Sources: England Hockey, https://www.englandhockey.co.uk/media/news/olympic-champion-pearne-webb-retires-from-hockey; BBC Sport, https://www.bbc.com/sport/hockey/articles/cp8dnp2ly7do; The Independent, https://www.the-independent.com/sport/olympics/hollie-pearne-webb-olympics-hockey-retirement-b2749398.html
Photo: fourthandfifteen, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Illustrative: Hollie Pearne-Webb, then playing as Hollie Webb, for Great Britain against Japan in April 2015. The photograph is not from the events described in the article.
