Ms Nicola Daly:

It goes back to the sustainability issue. Players tend to go outside the country to play at a higher standard. If we can keep the players in Ireland, it helps to grow the sport at grassroots and improve our club structure. If we can make that sustainable, we can keep the players here. When trying to balance college or a job with hockey playing, it is not really sustainable. We have been doing it for the past ten years and it is not ideal.

We were asked about pensions. I had not even thought about that. I just thought after I finished playing hockey I would have to work for an extra ten years to make up for it. However, it is something to think about. Players are inclined to focus just on the sport. Someone either becomes a sportsperson and that is one's job and one receives the benefit of it being one's job or one focuses on one's career. At the moment we are in limbo between the two. We are trying to be full-time athletes while also trying to build our careers. It is probably not sustainable for the next generation coming through if we are to continue to be successful.