England’s over-80s hockey team is set to play against the Netherlands.
A team of octogenarian hockey players recently faced off against a Dutch squad in Canterbury. The England over-80s team, which claims to be the oldest group of athletes officially representing the nation, played the match at Polo Farm Sports Club on Wednesday. The Netherlands emerged victorious with a 2-0 win.
The English team, comprising players aged between 80 and 87, also participated in a B team international match against the Netherlands, where the Dutch secured a 3-1 victory. Several players on the England B team are over 85 years old.
Player-manager Adrian Stephenson noted that despite their age, his team maintained a high level of fitness throughout the 70-minute game. He mentioned to BBC Radio Kent that “everybody is kept remarkably fit” and that players have various warm-up routines to address their individual physical issues.
Tony Jones, who has been playing for England for over 20 years, shared that the “excitement of having camaraderie in a team” drives them. Fellow player Andy Holden mentioned that although the England over-80s team had previously beaten the Netherlands three out of four times, the Dutch remain very competitive.
