LOCAL HOCKEY player Nicola White is counting down the days to the start of England’s World Cup campaign in Holland at the end of May.
The 26-year-old, who began her playing days at Saddleworth Hockey Club, cannot wait for the action to begin in The Hague, though before it does there are friendlies against South Africa, Canada and Belgium along with a four-nations tournament in Germany.
Nicola, whose grandmother lives in Dobcross, said: “I am really excited having spent months preparing. I know how good we have been in training and we have talent in the squad.
“We have prepared well and now we must make sure we nail it in the tournament. If we do, I think we will do really well.”
Nicola added it is a new-look England following the break-up of the Great Britain team which won bronze at the 2012 Olympic Games. They also formed the nucleus of the England squad.
The transition has been done with relative ease and last summer England won silver at the European Championships.
“England won the bronze at the 2010 World Cup in Argentina and if we medal again it would be a big achievement in this transitional period,” she explained.
England has been grouped with Argentina, Germany, Spain and the USA which means success would be achieved the hard way.
Nicola added that the 2014 World Cup will be tougher than four years ago as the gap between all the competing nations has narrowed.
“Australia and New Zealand are up and coming and all the countries have upped their game. The gap between them is closer than ever,” she continued.
The World Cup begins an important summer which also sees England compete in the Investec London Cup, a legacy of the Olympic Games, and Commonwealth Games.
Nicola has also taken delivery of a new Nissan Qashqai which has been provided by Oldham Business Group.
It has been sponsored by a number of companies including Westway Nissan, Oldham; AMP Wire Ltd, Chadderton and the Johnson Group, Delph.
Nicola, who is pictured receiving the keys at the One Oldham Business Awards, added that previously she had been driving her mother Gill’s car so to have her own vehicle is a massive weight off her shoulders.
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