Rachael Lynch Explained

Rachael Lynch
Birth Date:1986 7, df=yes
Birth Place:Warrandyte, Victoria, Australia
Height:1.78 m
Weight:68 kg
Position:Goalkeeper
Currentclub:Camberwell Hockey Club
Nationalyears1:2006–
Nationalteam1:Australia
Nationalcaps1:222
Nationalgoals1:0
Show-Medals:no

Rachael Anne Lynch [1] (born 2 July 1986)[2] is a field hockey player from Australia.[3]

Personal life

Rachael Lynch was born and raised in Warrandyte, a suburb of Melbourne.[3]

She worked as a nurse in neuro-rehabilitation at the Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth,[4] and previously worked at the Royal Perth Hospital.[5]

Career

Domestic leagues

Australian Hockey League

Prior to the disbandment of the Australian Hockey League (AHL), Lynch was a member of the Victorian Vipers. Throughout her career with the team, Lynch won the national title on two occasions, in 2012 and 2017.[6] [7]

Hockey One

After the introduction of the Hockey One League in 2019, Lynch was named as a member of the HC Melbourne team in the inaugural tournament.[8] The team finished second, losing the final in penalties.[9]

Hockeyroos

Lynch made her senior international debut for the Hockeyroos in 2006, in a test match against England.[3] She won a silver medal with the team in 2009 at the Champions Trophy in Sydney.[10]

Lynch has medalled three times at Commonwealth Games, winning gold in 2010 and 2014, as well as silver in 2018.[11] [12] [10] She also medalled at five consecutive Oceania Cups, winning three golds and two silvers from 2011 to 2019.[3]

Lynch appeared in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.[5]

During first season of the FIH Pro League, Lynch reached a career milestone, becoming the most capped goalkeeper to play for the Australian national team, a record previously set at 207 caps by Rachel Imison.[13] [14]

In December 2020, the Hockeyroos selection panel dropped Lynch from the national squad for 2021, essentially ending Lynch's career twelve months after she won the FIH Goalkeeper of the Year award. The axing of Lynch and former captain Georgina Morgan prompted an emergency meeting of the Hockeyroos, with the team considering a players' strike.[15] In April 2021, Lynch won her appeal and returned to the Hockeyroos.[16]

In June 2021, Lynch was selected as the keeper to represent Australia in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.[17] The Hockeyroos lost 1-0 to India in the quarter finals and therefore were not in medal contention.[18]

Recognition

Since the introduction of the Goalkeeping Award in the FIH Player of the Year Awards in 2014, Lynch has been nominated on three occasions.[19]

In 2019, Lynch won the award for the first time.[20]

Lynch was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) at the 2024 Australia Day Honours for service to hockey.[21]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Olympians for Life . . August 16, 2021.
  2. Web site: Team Details – Australia . . tms.fih.ch . 15 February 2020.
  3. Web site: Rachael Lynch . . hockey.org.au . 15 February 2020.
  4. Web site: Hockey Saving goals and bettering lives Rachael Lynch . . athletesvoice.com.au . 15 March 2019 . 15 February 2020.
  5. Web site: Rachael Lynch . . olympics.com.au . 15 February 2020.
  6. Web site: VICTORIA WIN THE 2012 WOMEN'S AUSTRALIAN HOCKEY LEAGUE-SAM SCORES !! . . footscrayhockey.com.au . 15 February 2020.
  7. Web site: LYNCH Rachael . . hockeyaustralia.altiusrt.com . 15 February 2020.
  8. Web site: HC Melbourne – Women's Team . . hockeyone.com.au . 5 July 2019 . 15 February 2020.
  9. Web site: Hockey One Grand Final: Hockey Club Melbourne lose thrilling shootout with Brisbane Blaze . . heraldsun.com.au . 16 November 2019 . 15 February 2020.
  10. Web site: LYNCH Rachael . . tms.fih.ch . 15 February 2020.
  11. Web site: Rachael LYNCH . . results.gc2018.com . 15 February 2020.
  12. Web site: RACHAEL LYNCH . . commonwealthgames.com.au . 3 April 2018 . 15 February 2020.
  13. Web site: LYNCH Rachael Goal Keeper 27 . . fihproleague.com . 15 February 2020.
  14. Web site: Late Goal Ends Hockeyroos' Winning Run . https://web.archive.org/web/20200215083400/https://hockey.org.au/late-goal-ends-hockeyroos-winning-run/ . 2020-02-15 . 15 February 2020 . hockey.org.au . Hockey Australia.
  15. News: Hytner . Mike . Australia's Hockeyroos consider strike action after key players dropped . 26 January 2024 . The Guardian . 3 December 2020.
  16. News: Hockeyroos stars win appeal against exclusion from Olympics team . 26 January 2024 . ABC News . 15 April 2021 . en-AU.
  17. News: Rachael Lynch bounces back from controversial axing to make Hockeyroos Olympic squad . 26 January 2024 . ABC News . 14 June 2021 . en-AU.
  18. Web site: Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo 2021. 2022-02-19. The Roar. en-US.
  19. Web site: BEST GOALKEEPER . https://web.archive.org/web/20200206220019/http://fih.ch/events/hockey-stars-awards/hockey-stars-2019/past-winners/best-goalkeeper/ . 2020-02-06 . 15 February 2020 . fih.ch . International Hockey Federation.
  20. Web site: Rachael Lynch crowned FIH Goalkeeper of the Year . https://web.archive.org/web/20200215083402/https://hockeyvictoria.org.au/rachael-lynch-crowned-fih-goalkeeper-of-the-year/ . 2020-02-15 . 15 February 2020 . hockeyvictoria.org.au . Hockey Victoria.
  21. Web site: Ms Rachael Anne Lynch . Australian Honours Search Facility . Australian Government . 26 January 2024.