Michael Watt (born 13 April 1987) is a former Ireland men's field hockey international. Between 2006 and 2016 Watt made 201 appearances and scored 54 goals for Ireland. He was a member of the Ireland team that won the bronze medal at the 2015 Men's EuroHockey Nations Championship. He also represented Ireland at the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...

. At club level, Watt has won the Irish Senior Cup with

Instonians Instonians is a sports club based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, that incorporates rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey and cricket sections. There is also a golf society that plays under the Instonians name. Instonians Rugby Football, Cricke ...

, the

Scottish Hockey Cup The Scottish Hockey Cup or just Scottish Cup is the top men's cup competition in Scottish Field Hockey. The competition starts in September each year, with the final being held in May, at Glasgow's National Hockey Centre. Format Clubs enter the S ...

with

Grange Grange may refer to: Buildings * Grange House, Scotland, built in 1564, and demolished in 1906 * Grange Estate, Pennsylvania, built in 1682 * Monastic grange, a farming estate belonging to a monastery Geography Australia * Grange, South Austral ...

and the

Men's Irish Hockey League The Men's Irish Hockey League is a field hockey league organised by Hockey Ireland that features men's teams from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The league was first played for during the 2008–09 season. It replaced the All-I ...

with

Lisnagarvey Lisnagarvey or Lisnagarvy () is a townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Lisnagarvey is also an Anglicisation of the original name of Lisburn. The townland was named after an earthen ringfort (''lios''), which was in the area of present-day ...

. He also played and scored for both Grange and

Surbiton Surbiton is a suburban neighbourhood in South West London, within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (RBK). It is next to the River Thames, southwest of Charing Cross. Surbiton was in the historic county of Surrey and since 1965 it has ...

in the

Euro Hockey League The Euro Hockey League is an annual men's field hockey cup competition organized by the EHF for the very top field hockey clubs in Europe. The competition was launched at the start of the 2007-08 field hockey season when it merged and replaced th ...

Early years, family and education

Between 1998 and 2005 Watt attended the

Royal Belfast Academical Institution The Royal Belfast Academical Institution is an independent grammar school in Belfast, Northern Ireland. With the support of Belfast's leading reformers and democrats, it opened its doors in 1814. Until 1849, when it was superseded by what today is ...

. In addition to playing

field hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ci ...

at RBAI, Watt also played

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

for the school. Between 2005 and 2009 he attended

Heriot-Watt University Heriot-Watt University ( gd, Oilthigh Heriot-Watt) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and subsequently granted univ ...

were he gained a

BSc A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

in Real Estate Management. His older brother, Johnny, a graduate of

Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

, played rugby union for Ireland at schoolboy and

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

levels.

Domestic teams

RBAI

In 2002–03, together with

Mark Gleghorne Mark Gleghorne (born 19 May 1985) is a field hockey player from Northern Ireland who has represented Ireland, England and Great Britain at international level. He represented Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Gleghorne was a member of ...

, Watt was a member of the

team that won the

Burney Cup The Burney Cup (Ulster Schoolboys' Senior Hockey Cup) is an annual competition involving the strongest schools affiliated to the Ulster Hockey Union, Ulster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association. The competition is held in the spring term of eac ...

and finished as runners-up in the

All Ireland Schoolboys Hockey Championship The All Ireland Schoolboys Hockey Championship is an annual competition involving the strongest schools affiliated to Hockey Ireland. The competition is held in the Autumn term of each school year. Banbridge Academy, Down, are the current champion ...

. In 2003–04, together with

Paul Gleghorne Paul Gleghorne (born 11 April 1987) is an Ireland men's field hockey international. He was a member of the Ireland team that won the bronze medal at the 2015 Men's EuroHockey Nations Championship. He also represented Ireland at the 2016 Summe ...

and

John Jackson John or Johnny Jackson may refer to: Entertainment Art * John Baptist Jackson (1701–1780), British artist * John Jackson (painter) (1778–1831), British painter * John Jackson (engraver) (1801–1848), English wood engraver * John Richardson ...

, he was a member of the RBAI team that won the

McCullough Cup The McCullough Cup is a hockey competition. It is an annual tournament played for by schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association. The competition is held in the winter term of each school year, with the older Burney ...

, the Burney Cup and the All Ireland Schoolboys Hockey Championship.

Instonians

Watts began playing for

while still attending

RBAI The Royal Belfast Academical Institution is an independent grammar school in Belfast, Northern Ireland. With the support of Belfast's leading reformers and democrats, it opened its doors in 1814. Until 1849, when it was superseded by what today is ...

. In 2003–04, together with

Mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fi ...

and

, Watt was a member of the Instonians team that won the Irish Senior Cup, defeating

Cork Harlequins Cork Harlequins Hockey and Cricket Club is a multi-sports club based in the Douglas area of Cork in Ireland. The club was founded in 1925. Although Harlequins is best known for its field hockey and cricket teams, during its history the club has ...

1–0 in the final. In 2018 Watt re-joined Instonians.

Grange

Between 2005 and 2009, while attending

, Watt played for

in the Scottish Hockey National League. He was a Grange player when he made his senior debut for

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. He also played and scored for Grange in the

2007–08 Euro Hockey League The 2007–08 Euro Hockey League was the inaugural season of the Euro Hockey League, Europe's premier club field hockey tournament organized by the EHF. The final was played between UHC Hamburg and HGC at the Hazelaarweg Stadion in Rotterdam, ...

. In 2008–09 Watt scored 17 goals for Grange, including two in the

final as they defeated Inverleith 4–0. He was also named the

Scottish Hockey Union The Scottish Hockey Union, commonly referred to simply as Scottish Hockey or the SHU, is the national governing body for the sport of field hockey in Scotland. It is the SHU's responsibility to help provide for the development, promotion and manage ...

Player of the Year.

KHC Dragons

During the 2009–10 season Watt played for

KHC Dragons Koninklijke Hockey Club Dragons, also known as KHC Dragons or simply Dragons, is a Belgian professional field hockey club based in Brasschaat, Antwerp Province. The club was founded in 1946. Since the end of the eighties the club competes in Belgiu ...

in the

Men's Belgian Hockey League The Men's Belgian Hockey League is a field hockey league organised by the Royal Belgian Hockey Association. The league was established in 1919 as the Division 1. Between the 2006–07 and the 2015–16 seasons it was known as the Honor Division. S ...

. Watt also helped coach KHC Dragons youth teams.

RS Tenis

Between 2010 and 2012 Watt played for RS Tenis in the

División de Honor de Hockey Hierba The División de Honor de Hockey Hierba is the top level of field hockey in Spain. It was founded in 1957 and is managed by the Real Federación Española de Hockey. Teams Number of teams by autonomous community Champions Titles won By club ...

. His team mates at RS Tenis included fellow

international, Geoff McCabe. Watt also helped coach RS Tenis youth teams.

SCHC

During the 2012–13 season Watt played for SCHC in the

Hoofdklasse The Vierde Divisie, formerly known as Hoofdklasse () is the second-highest league of amateur football in the Netherlands, and the fifth tier in general. Background The league is divided into two sections: Saturday and Sunday. This is a result of ...

. His team mates at SCHC included fellow

international,

Conor Harte Conor Harte (born 3 April 1988) is an Ireland men's field hockey international. He played for Ireland at both the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2018 Men's Hockey World Cup. He was also a member of the Ireland team that won the bronze medal at ...

. Watt also helped coach SCHC youth teams.

Surbiton

Between 2013 and 2015 Watt played for

in the

Men's England Hockey League The Men's England Hockey League is a field hockey league organized by England Hockey that features men's teams from England and Wales. Format Regular season There are 62 teams in the league, the top tier consists of a Premier Division of twelve t ...

. He also played and scored for Surbiton in the 2013–14 Euro Hockey League.

Lisnagarvey

In 2015 Watt joined

. In 2015–16, along with Jonathan Bell, Sean Murray and

, Watt was a member of the Lisnagarvey team that won the

and the EY Champions Trophy. Watt and Lisnagarvey also reached the final of the Irish Senior Cup but lost to Monkstown after a

penalty shoot-out The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pen ...

Hampstead & Westminster

Between 2016 and 2018 Watt played for Hampstead & Westminster in the

Ireland international

Between 2006 and 2016 Watt made 201 appearances and scored 54 goals for

. He made his senior debut for Ireland in July 2006, aged 19, against

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

. In his first major tournament, the 2008 Men's Field Hockey Olympic Qualifier, he scored twice in the opening 4–0 win against

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Watt was a member of the Ireland team that won the

2011 Men's Hockey Champions Challenge II The 2011 Men's Hockey Champions Challenge II was the second edition of the for men. It was held in Lille, France, from July 2–10, 2011. Teams Eight teams participated in the tournament, they were: * * * * * * * * (Hosts) Results ''All ...

. He also helped Ireland win

Men's FIH Hockey World League The Men's FIH Hockey World League was an international field hockey competition organised by the International Hockey Federation. The league also served as a qualifier for the 2014 and 2018 Men's Hockey World Cups and the 2016 Olympic Games. T ...

tournaments in

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

and

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

. Watt was also a member of the Ireland team that won the bronze medal at the 2015 Men's EuroHockey Nations Championship. He also represented Ireland at the

. He made his last appearance for Ireland at the 2016 Summer Olympics and in November 2017 he announced his official retirement from the team.

Occupation

Between 2013 and 2018 Watt was based in the

West End of London The West End of London (commonly referred to as the West End) is a district of Central London, west of the City of London and north of the River Thames, in which many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buil ...

where he worked as a surveyor, firstly for the Central London Agency later for Matthews & Goodman. In 2018, together with his brother, Johnny, he returned to

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

to work for Fred J. Malcolm, a jewellery firm.

Honours

;

Round 1 **''Winners'': 2012 Cardiff *

Round 2 **''Winners'': 2015 San Diego **''Runners up'': 2013 New Delhi *

Men's Hockey Champions Challenge II The Men's Hockey Champions Challenge II was an international field hockey competition introduced by the International Hockey Federation The Fédération Internationale de Hockey (English: International Hockey Federation), commonly known by the ...

**''Winners'':

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

**''Runners up'':

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

*Men's Field Hockey Olympic Qualifier **''Runners up'':

*Men's Hockey Investec Cup **''Runners up'':

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

;

**''Winners'': 2015–16: 1 * EY Champions Trophy **''Winners'': 2016: 1 * Irish Senior Cup **''Runners up'': 2015–16: 1 ;

**''Winners'': 2008–09: 1 ;

* Irish Senior Cup **''Winners'': 2003–04: 1 ;

**''Winners'': 2003–04: 1 **''Runners up'': 2002–03: 1 *

**''Winners'': 2002–03, 2003–04: 2 *

**''Winners'': 2003–04: 1

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watt, Michael 1987 births Living people Irish field hockey coaches Ireland international men's field hockey players Male field hockey players from Northern Ireland Irish male field hockey players British male field hockey players Olympic field hockey players for Ireland Field hockey players at the 2016 Summer Olympics División de Honor de Hockey Hierba players Men's Hoofdklasse Hockey players Men's England Hockey League players Men's Irish Hockey League players Instonians field hockey players KHC Dragons players SCHC players Surbiton Hockey Club players Lisnagarvey Hockey Club players Hampstead & Westminster Hockey Club players Male field hockey forwards Sportspeople from Belfast Expatriate field hockey players Irish expatriate sportspeople in Belgium Irish expatriate sportspeople in England Irish expatriate sportspeople in Scotland Expatriate sportspeople from Northern Ireland in Spain Expatriate sportspeople from Northern Ireland in the Netherlands Irish rugby union players People educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution Alumni of Heriot-Watt University Men's Belgian Hockey League players Field hockey players from Belfast