Jayde Taylor Announces International Hockey Retirement

Hockeyroo Jayde Taylor has announced her immediate retirement from international hockey.

The 29 year-old long-term WAIS scholarship holder informed Australian Head Coach Adam Commens and teammates earlier this week, calling time on a 107-cap international career that culminated in Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow last August.

London Olympian Taylor – who shot to global attention after she and teammate Brooke Peris snapped a selfie with the Queen at the 2014 Commonwealth Games – retires as a two-time Commonwealth Games champion and World Cup silver medallist.

Since making her senior international debut in a 4-0 win over Great Britain in June 2010, Taylor has gone on to represent Australia at the Olympic Games, two World Cups, two Commonwealth Games, the 2011 Champions Trophy and the Oceania Cup.

Announcing her decision to retire, Taylor said, “I’ve been thinking long and hard over the past few months. There are several reasons I’ve chosen to call it a day. Many past players have said to me you ‘just know’ when it’s time. I believe it is the right decision and the right time, not only for me but with the best interests of the [Women’s High Performance] program at heart. I like to think I am a gracious person who really appreciates current and past experiences and very much dislikes letting people down. I feel that is what I would be doing if I kept going.”

Recalling some of her career highlights, the defender from Bunbury, WA, said, “The World Cup silver medal and the 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medal are two special highlights for me, but I will never forget being part of the Olympic Games simply because of the event it was.”

Thanking those that have played a part in her career, Taylor said, “I have had so many coaches along the way and each and every one of them has encouraged, guided, taught and inspired me in one way or another. I cannot thank them all enough! Adam [Commens], in particular, is someone whose honesty I truly value and I hope to take that with me into my future career path.

“Each and every one of my teammates, too, has provided inspiration, encouragement and advice along the way at different times. Enjoying success and a sense of achievement alongside your teammates is what keeps making you front up to the hard sessions time and time again.”

Hockeyroos Head Coach Adam Commens said, “Jayde has had a very successful career. She is somebody who worked hard over a number of years to work her way into the program and who has had the resilience to stay in it. She epitomises the mental strength and resilience we expect in the Hockeyroos.

“She has a smart hockey brain and has been able to impart her knowledge on her teammates in valuable ways, from the most experienced players to those just entering the program. Her experience, knowledge and coaching ability has been invaluable throughout. She has been able to play a role regardless of position, particularly during our successes at the World Cup and Commonwealth Games in 2014.”

After taking up hockey at the age of 13, Taylor progressed quickly, playing representative hockey at Under 18 and Under 21 age levels before going on to play for the Australian junior team, the Jillaroos, at the 2005 Junior World Cup. She was a member of the National Development Squad for five years before making the breakthrough to the National Senior Squad in 2010 at the age of 25.

A foot injury sustained following the London Olympic Games in 2012 ruled her out for 14 months during which she was unable to run for a full year. At the time she was told she might never run again. Of that time, Taylor said, “It was the drive and determination to be part of something that is so unique and so, so special that kept me going.”

In August 2014, Taylor shot to the attention of the world after posting a selfie with teammate Brooke Peris in which the Queen appeared to ‘photobomb’ the pair during a visit to the Commonwealth Games hockey venue. The photo went viral and has now racked up almost 15,000 retweets and more than 13,000 favourites on Twitter. On Facebook it attracted 26,000 likes and was shared 2500 times. It garnered media attention from outlets across the globe, graced the front page of The Times newspaper in the UK and was named as Buzzfeed’s third most important selfie of 2014.

Speaking of that time, Taylor said, “It was a beautiful moment in our careers, shared with Brooke, which gained such a raw emotional reaction from the world, something not many people are able to say. It’s still circulating on social media and I’m proud Brooke and I could be part of something so special together, and also to promote the amazing brand that the Hockeyroos is. It certainly added to the experience of the Commonwealth Games but the greatest part was sharing the gold medal with the team a week later.”

Taylor is currently in the Netherlands playing club hockey for HC Bloemendaal and hopes to be able to remain in the sport in the future, in coaching or administration.

The Western Australian Institute of Sport joins Hockey Australia in congratulating Jayde on a successful career with the Hockeyroos and wishing her well for the future.

Follow Jayde on Twitter @_JaydeTaylor and on Instagram @JaydeTaylor.

Jayde Taylor’s Career

• September 2005 – Represents Australia at Junior World Cup in Chile where the team finishes fourth

• 2005-2010 – A member of the National Development Squad

• June 2010 – Makes senior international debut for Hockeyroos in 4-0 win over Great Britain

• September 2010 – Plays in first World Cup as Hockeyroos finish fifth in Rosario, Argentina

• October 2010 – Scores the first of her three international goals in an 11-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India

• October 2010 – Wins first silverware as Hockeyroos win gold at the Commonwealth Games

• June 2011 – Member of the Hockeyroos squad that finishes sixth at Champions Trophy in Amstelveen

• October 2011 – Member of the Hockeyroos squad that takes silver at Oceania Cup in Hobart

• July 2012 – Member of Australian team that finishes fifth at London 2012 Olympic Games, despite conceding just two goals

• 2012-2013 – Long-term foot injury rules her out of playing for 14 months

• October 2013 – Makes comeback appearance in 1-0 defeat to Argentina in Perth

• April 2014 – Scores her second international goal in 5-3 win over Korea in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

• June 2014 – Called-up to World Cup squad, replacing injured teammate Teneal Attard. Goes on to win silver medal with the Hockeyroos, losing 2-0 to Netherlands in the final

• July 2014 – Posts photo of Queen ‘photobombing’ her selfie with Brooke Peris on Twitter. Global media attention on the pair. Scores her third and final international goal in 9-0 win over Scotland three days later

• August 2014 – Wins second Commonwealth Games gold medal on shoot-out after 1-1 draw with England

• February 2015 – Retires from international hockey

– HockeyAus