Nikki Symmons (born 2 August 1982) is a former Ireland women's field hockey international. Symmons is also a former Ireland women's cricket international. Between 2001 and 2013 Symmons made 208 appearances and scored 31 goals 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 ...

. She represented Ireland at six

Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship The Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship is an international women's field hockey competition organized by the European Hockey Federation (EHF) for the top eight European national teams. It is the top division of the EuroHockey Championships. ...

s, during three

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

qualification campaigns and during three

Women's Hockey World Cup The Women's FIH Hockey World Cup is the field hockey World Cup competition for women, whose format for qualification and the final tournament is similar to the men's. It has been held since 1974. The tournament has been organized by the Internat ...

qualification campaigns. Symmons played in four Irish Senior Cup finals for Loreto. In 2008–09 she was also a member of the Loreto team that won the inaugural

Women's Irish Hockey League The Women's Irish Hockey League is a field hockey league organised by Hockey Ireland that features women'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 A ...

title. In 2011 she was a member of the Loreto team that won the EuroHockey Club Champion's Challenge II. In 2015 she was inducted into the

European Hockey Federation The European Hockey Federation is a European sports federation for field hockey, based in Brussels. It is the umbrella organisation for all European national federations, and organises the Euro Hockey League. Marijke Fleuren was elected preside ...

Hall of Fame. Since 2014 Symmons has worked in

Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...

as a Digital Manager for the

International Hockey Federation The Fédération Internationale de Hockey (English: International Hockey Federation), commonly known by the acronym and initialism, acronym FIH, is the international governing body of field hockey and indoor field hockey. Its headquarters are i ...

Early years and education

Symmons was raised in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

by her mother, Melanie. Her parents marriage broke up when she still a baby. Her mother subsequently remarried into a family with four children when Symmons was six. Although initially estranged from her father, she established contact with him during her teens. Her grandparents, Harry and Rhona Booker, were a big influence during her formative years. During her youth, Symmons played

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 ...

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

and

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

. She completed her secondary education at Wesley College. Between 2002 and 2005 she attended St. Nicholas Montessori College where she gained a BA in

Montessori education The Montessori method of education involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills. It emphasizes indepen ...

. Between 2014 and 2015 Symmons completed a Master of Advanced Studies in Sports Administration and Technology at

AISTS The International Academy of Sport Science and Technology (French: ''Académie internationale des sciences et techniques du sport'', AISTS) is a non-profit foundation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. About AISTS The International Academy of Sports ...

Field hockey

Early years

Symmons played

for Wesley College. In 1998 she was a member of the Wesley College team that won the Leinster Schoolgirls' Senior Cup.

Loreto

Symmons played in four Irish Senior Cup finals for Loreto. In the 2002 final, Symmons scored twice as Loreto drew 2–2 with

Hermes Hermes (; grc-gre, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orato ...

before eventually winning the cup in 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 ...

. In the 2003 final, Symmons scored the winner in extra-time as Loreto defeated

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 ...

3–2. In 2010 Symmons helped Loreto win the Irish Senior Cup for a third time. In the final she scored twice as Loreto drew 2–2 with

Railway Union The Railway Union ( fi, Rautatiealan Unioni, RAU) is a trade union representing drivers, traffic controllers and office staff on the railways in Finland. The union was founded on 16 November 2018, when the Union of Locomotive Drivers merged with ...

before eventually winning the cup in another penalty shoot-out. Other members of the Loreto team included

Nicola Daly Nicola Daly (born 3 April 1988), also referred to as Nicci Daly or Nikki Daly, is an Ireland women's field hockey international. She was a member of the Ireland team that played in the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup final. In 2010 Daly was a mem ...

Lizzie Colvin Elizabeth "Lizzie" Holden ( Colvin, born 4 January 1990) is a retired Ireland women's field hockey international. She was a member of the Ireland team that played in the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup final. Colvin has also won Irish Senior Cup ...

Hannah Matthews Hannah Matthews (born 24 March 1991) is an Ireland women's field hockey international. She was a member of the Ireland team that played in the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup final. Matthews has also won Irish Senior Cup and Women's Irish Hockey ...

and

Alison Meeke Alison Meeke (born 7 June 1991), also referred to as Ali Meeke, is an Ireland women's field hockey international. She was a member of the Ireland team that played in the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup final. Meeke has also won Irish Senior Cup ...

. Symmons and Loreto were finalists again in 2012 but this time lost 3–2 against UCD. In 2008 Symmons was a member of the Loreto team that finished as runners-up to Hermes in the All-Ireland Club Championship. In 2008–09, together with Hannah Matthews, Lizzie Colvin and Alison Meeke, she was a member of the Loreto team that won the inaugural

title. She was also a member of the Loreto teams that finished as league runners-up in 2011–12 and 2012–13. Symmons also won

European European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...

honours with Loreto. In 2011 she was a member of the Loreto team that won the EuroHockey Club Champion's Challenge II, scoring in the final as they defeated HC Olten of

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

7–1.

Eintracht Braunschweig

Symmons played full-time for

Eintracht Braunschweig Braunschweiger Turn- und Sportverein Eintracht von 1895 e.V., commonly known as Eintracht Braunschweig () or BTSV (), is a German association football, football and sports club based in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony. The club was one of the founding ...

during the 2006–07 season.

Ireland international

Between 2001 and 2013 Symmons made 208 appearances and scored 31 goals for

. Symmons had represented Ireland at Under-16, Under-18 and Under-21 level before making her senior debut against

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

in 2001. She subsequently represented Ireland at six

s, during three

qualification campaigns and during three

qualification campaigns. On 3 May 2008 Symmons made her 100th senior appearance for Ireland against

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

at the 2008 Women's Field Hockey Olympic Qualifier. On 19 June 2011 she made her 150th senior appearance against

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

at the

2011 Women's Hockey Champions Challenge I The 2011 Women's Hockey Champions Challenge I was the fifth tournament of field hockey championship for women. It was held in Dublin, Ireland from June 18–26, 2011. Teams Eight teams participated in the tournament, they were: * * * * * * * * ...

. On 22 June 2013 she made her 200th senior appearance in a 3–2 defeat against

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. On 24 August 2013 Symmons made her 208th and final appearance for Ireland against

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

at the

2013 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship The 2013 Women's EuroHockey Nations Championship was the 11th edition of the women's field hockey championship organised by the European Hockey Federation. It was held from 17 August to 24 August 2013 in Boom, Belgium. Germany defeated England in ...

. In 2015 Symmons was inducted into the

Hall of Fame. She was honoured during a half-time ceremony at the 2015 Men's EuroHockey Nations Championship final. Symmons was Ireland's most capped women's field hockey international until she was overtaken by

Shirley McCay Shirley McCay (born 7 June 1988) is an Ireland women's field hockey international. She was a member of the Ireland team that played in the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup final. McCay has played in the Women's Irish Hockey League for Old Alex, ...

in 2015.

Coach

Symmons began coaching while still an active player. In 2008 she was teaching and coaching at Notre Dame Des Missions. In 2009 and 2010 she worked with the Leinster U-16 Girls squad. During the 2011–12 season she coached Three Rock Ladies II to promotion from the Leinster Women's Division Five to Division Four. She also guided them to a win in a Division Five/Six Cup title. During the 2012–13 season she coached a Glenanne Ladies team that included

Mary Waldron Mary Veronica Waldron (born 5 May 1984) is an Irish association football player and cricketer who has represented both the Republic of Ireland women's national football team and the Ireland women's cricket team. She has also stood as an umpire ...

in the Leinster Women's Division One. She also coached at St. Andrew's College. In 2014 Symmons was also a coach on the

RTÉ (RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...

programme ''

Ireland's Fittest Family ''Ireland's Fittest Family'' is an Irish TV series where families from across Ireland compete in different adventure races and fitness competitions in an effort to win €15,000 and the title of 'Ireland's Fittest Family'. Since 2014 there have ...

''.

Cricket

Domestic teams

Symmons played

at Wesley College and for Pembroke. Her Pembroke teammates included

and

Kim Garth Kimberley Jennifer Garth (born 25 April 1996) is an Irish-Australian cricketer who currently plays for Victoria, Melbourne Stars and Australia. An all-rounder, she plays as a right-arm medium bowler and right-handed batter. Between 2010 and 20 ...

Ireland international

Symmons was selected to represent

at the

2010 ICC Women's Cricket Challenge The 2010 ICC Women's Cricket Challenge was an international women's cricket tournament held in South Africa during the International cricket in 2010–11, 2010–11 international season. South Africa national women's cricket team, South Africa, W ...

. She subsequently played four

One Day Internationals A One Day International (ODI) is a form of limited overs cricket, played between two teams with international status, in which each team faces a fixed number of overs, currently 50, with the game lasting up to 9 hours. The Cricket World Cu ...

and three

Twenty20 Internationals A Twenty20 International (T20I) is a form of cricket, played between two of the international members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), in which each team faces a maximum of twenty overs. The matches have top-class status and are the ...

matches during the series. On 6 October 2010 she made her WODI debut against

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. On 14 October 2010 she made her WT20I against

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. On 16 October 2010 she scored 86 off 48 balls in a WT20I win against the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

FIH

Since September 2014 Symmons has worked as a Digital Manager for the

. She is based at the FIH headquarters in

Personal life

Symmons is

openly gay Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...

. She came out to family members when she was 21. In October 2014 Symmons spoke publicly about being gay for the first time. She appeared on the

RTÉ2 RTÉ2 is an Television in the Republic of Ireland, Irish free-to-air television channel operated by public service broadcaster RTÉ. It was launched in 1978 as the Republic of Ireland's second television channel. History In the 1970s, the Iri ...

programme ''

Second Captains Live Second Captains Live is an Irish live topical sports and entertainment show produced and presented by Second Captains that first aired on RTÉ Two television in Ireland on 10 September 2013 at 10.30pm. Each week Irish sports stars join the prese ...

'', taking part in a discussion on

homosexuality in modern sports The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other non-heterosexual or non-cisgender (LGBTQ+) community is prevalent within sports across the world. There have been several notable outspoken homosexual athletes, including John Curry, Bill ...

along with

Shane Horgan Shane Patrick Horgan (born 18 July 1978) is an Irish former rugby union player who played wing or centre for Leinster and Ireland. Early life He was born on 18 July 1978 in Bellewstown, County Meath, to an Irish mother, Ursula (née Campbell) ...

and

Donal Óg Cusack Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the ...

Honours

Field hockey

;

*Women's Field Hockey Olympic Qualifier **''Runners Up'':

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 ...

; Loreto * Irish Senior Cup **''Winners'': 2002, 2003, 2009–10 **''Runners Up'': 2011–12 *

**''Winners'': 2008–09 **''Runners Up'': 2011–12, 2012–13 *EuroHockey Club Champion's Challenge II **''Winners'': 2011 *All-Ireland Club Championship **''Runners Up'': 2008 ; Wesley College * Leinster Schoolgirls' Senior Cup **''Winners'': 1998

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Symmons, Nikki 1982 births Living people Ireland international women's field hockey players Irish female field hockey players Irish field hockey coaches Irish women cricketers Ireland women One Day International cricketers Ireland women Twenty20 International cricketers Lesbian sportswomen Irish lesbians Irish LGBT sportspeople LGBT field hockey players LGBT cricketers People educated at Wesley College, Dublin Irish schoolteachers Cricketers from Dublin (city) Irish expatriate sportspeople in Germany Irish expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland Women's Irish Hockey League players Field hockey players from County Dublin Feldhockey Bundesliga (Women's field hockey) players Irish field hockey administrators