David Reid of Wadalba has been selected to play for the Australian country hockey team during its tour of Singapore and Malaysia in April, following his captaincy of the NSW country state team which competed at the national challenge in Albany WA last August.
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-10, the Hockey Australia Country Challenge returned in 2022, with the best 18 players from all states and the Australian Defence Forces selected to compete internationally.
Reid, a goalkeeper, had played for the state in the previous seven challenges, with NSW winning on each occasion.
Unfortunately, with COVID knocking out six of the team’s players, NSW came fourth in 2022, but Reid’s captaincy was impressive enough to land him a national berth.
This will be Reid’s 10th year playing in the Australian team overseas – he has previously competed in New Zealand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Argentina, South Africa and Fiji.
Reid currently plays in both Sydney and Newcastle hockey competitions.
An added bonus for Reid is that he will be accompanied on the overseas tour by his partner Simone Williams, who has been selected as the Australian men’s country physiotherapist for the tour, and their 18-month-old son.
It will be third time Williams has represented the country as a physiotherapist.
“Hockey was the beginning of our love story,” she said.
“We met when I was the women’s state team physio Townsville five years ago.
“We saw each other on the next tour and what started as a friendship blossomed.
“We were married two weeks ago.
“This might be my last tour for a few years now we have a small child – we are taking him with us this year and that will be very interesting.”
Williams has been working on the Central Coast for the past 10 years and recently opened her practice, The Physio Rooms, at Tuggerah
“We both play and support the local hockey community at the fields in Wyong,” she said.
Terry Collins