Charlotte Beggs: Youngest member of Ireland squad aiming to establish herself
- Published
Beggs made her Ireland debut at last summer's World Cup
Everyone knows her as Charlie.
It's a nickname that was inadvertently given to her by her mum who used to call her Charley with a French pronunciation, but then someone mispronounced it and Charlotte 'Charlie' Beggs has stuck ever since.
At 20-years old, Beggs is the youngest member of the Ireland Women's Hockey squad currently taking part in the EuroHockey Championships in Germany.
She made her international debut at last summer's World Cup, one of five debutants as a new-look Irish squad began to take shape following a number of retirements after the Tokyo Olympics.
Beggs hasn't missed a capped game since then as she looks to establish herself at the highest level.
"It's amazing. It's a very comfortable feeling to have, just knowing everyone trusts you and to be able to go out and play your own game. The girls are amazing, they just always give you so much encouragement," she says.
'Dream' to be part of Ireland squad
Beggs grew up in County Londonderry and went to Rainey Endowed School in Magherafelt. She took up the sport at the local club at an early age.
"I think when I was about seven, there was like a like a mini hockey club, a Rainey mini hockey club set up by our skills coach and that's when I started at seven years old."
But did she ever think she would make it all the way to the international team?
"I didn't know if I'd be here this early, but it was always kind of the dream."
Charlotte Beggs is the youngest player in the Ireland squad at 20 years of age
At school Beggs also played football but her greatest success was helping Rainey claim the Senior Schools Hockey Cup for the first time in their history in 2018 as they beat Banbridge Academy in a shootout.
That day, Beggs was given the assignment of marking Katie McKee, who had scored a hat-trick in the final the previous year.
The two players, opponents on that occasion, made their Ireland Senior debuts together in the World Cup opening game against the Netherlands four years later. Close friends, the Ulster duo are playing together at the Euros this week.
Beggs has always been highly regarded in hockey circles so her inclusion in the senior panel at such a young age doesn't come as a surprise.
She has come up through the Ireland age ranks and now is a pivotal midfielder, looking to step into the shoes and have the same success as the likes of 2018 World Cup silver medallists Lizzie Holden, Megan Frazer and Gillian Pinder.
"I was sitting on my sofa at home watching the World Cup. I think I'd just been away with the Ireland Under-16 team and we'd been watching the games. It was just amazing to see how far we could go. Now we just want to prove to ourselves that we can do it and we can beat those big nations because we know we can. We just have to go out there and do it."
Beggs added, "It's kind of like an amazing feeling to just play with your best friends. Just knowing exactly what page we're on, where everyone is on the pitch and like it just flows so nicely together and then when we score some goals, and you get to hug your friends after that. It's just so nice."
Olympics the ultimate goal
Beggs is studying Sports Science at the University of Ulster at Jordanstown and is about to start second year.
Last season she helped the Ulster Elks gain promotion to the top All Ireland League, and that will help Beggs, as an individual, prepare for the Olympic Qualifiers in January.
She acknowledges, "The University has just supported me through this whole journey. I mean like we can't always be there for the Uni stuff, so they're just so accommodating and I'm just grateful."
The journey, Beggs hopes, will include a stop in Paris next summer at the Olympics. Her memories of the 'Greatest Show on Earth' only go back to Rio seven years ago when as a 13-year-old she watched Great Britain's women win the gold medal.
Last Friday in the opening game of the EuroHockey championships she played against Holly Pearne-Webb, Laura Roper and Lily Owsley who were all part of that Team GB success.
"The Olympics has been my dream for so many years. When you're watching it there is so much excitement that surrounds Olympic Games. It just means so much. Like, I don't think words could even describe."