Carly heads to Austria

Hockey umpire selected to officiate indoor tournament

AN Abertay sports student has been selected to umpire a prestigious European hockey tou rna ment in Vienna.

Carly Edward, 20, from Broughty Ferry, is going to officiate matches at the Women’s Euro Hockey Indoor Club Trophy competition running this weekend.

The fourth-year sport and exercise student will travel to Austria today.

She said she was excited about the chance to take part in such an important competition.

“It’s my first time officiating an indoor tournament so I don’t know what to expect,” she said.

“The national association put me forward to be an umpire at the event and each nation will have an umpire there. I’ll be representing Dundee as well – it’s always good when somewhere smaller gets recognised.”

Carly, who started playing hockey at 15 at Grove Menzieshill Hockey Club, said her bigger goal is to end up as an umpire at the Olympics.

She said: “I want to go to Austria and get noticed. I want to show people what I’m capable of and would like to be at 2028 Olympics.”

Carly got her start by becoming involved in youth Scottish Cup games and tournaments.

In 2016, she became a nationally appointed umpire and by the next summer she had umpired every national level from U/16 to seniors as well her first i nternational tournament – the U/21 Women’s Euro Hockey Championships II in the Czech Republic.

She added: “You have to be so focused all the time but I absolutely love what I do.

“At the moment there’s a shortage of female umpires in our sport and I want people to know that it is an option worth considering.”

Carly, whose boyfriend Lewis plays for Dundee Wanderers, said the sport provides friendly competition, as they represent rival clubs.

She added: “I definitely won’t umpire his games!”

Carly Edward will umpire at the women’s event in Vienna.