Scotland feeling the heat in Chile as Fran Lonergan looks forward to Nations Cup test

Yahoo

18-02-2025

A liberal dose of South American sunshine and a week of intense international competition are just what the aspiring doctor ordered.
Fran Lonergan is approaching the final few months of her medical degree at the University of Aberdeen but her studies will be set aside for the next few days as she swaps her stethoscope for a hockey stick.
Lonergan is in Chile with the rest of the Scotland squad for the Nations Cup, a tournament that will prove challenging on several fronts. One is the temperatures that are expected to remain in the 30s all week, while the other is the top-tier calibre of opposition they will face, including Korea, New Zealand and Ireland.
It is a tournament, however, that Lonergan has been looking forward to as Scotland continue to build towards this summer's Euro Hockey Championship in Germany.
'This is a fantastic opportunity for us as the teams we're playing are around about us in the world rankings,' she says, 'It's a chance for us to go and try to tick some of these teams off. We've worked hard over the winter and want to go and play fast, attacking hockey. We're going to throw everything at it and that's a fun way of playing.
'The weather makes it a bit tougher. We went from training in 3C back home to playing in 30C which is a challenge but we prepared as much as we could before we left to get as used to it as possible. And I've brought my porridge over with me too!'
Lonergan is the poster girl for perseverance when it comes to Scottish hockey. The Glaswegian admits there was a period when her enthusiasm for the sport waned a little as she drifted in and out of the team and struggled for consistency.
Supported and nurtured over the last few years by Scotland head coach Chris Duncan, however, the 29-year-old found herself flourishing to the point where she was recently named international player of the year. She credits that development to adjustments in her own lifestyle but believes the biggest change was just the confidence boost that comes when others believe in you.
'It was lovely to get the award as I really didn't expect it,' she adds. 'The calibre of the other nominees was really strong with GB internationals and other very talented players. So, it was nice to get that and round off what's been a good couple of years for me.
'For a while it had become a bit of a slog. I got into the senior team and got my first caps quite quickly. And then coaches change and other things and it's tough when you get into that rut. You don't quite know what to do to get out it so you try to train harder or change your approach in other ways.
'The biggest thing at the time was that I probably wasn't getting honest feedback. And then a big game-changer was when Chris came in. He sat me down and said, 'you're actually quite talented but this is what I need from you'. And I did what he wanted with a lot of support from nutritionists, physios, sports psychologists and others. I couldn't have done it myself.
'In the last two years there has been a lot of positive change. But the biggest difference is probably just me having more confidence. I back myself a little bit more and that just started from the coaching staff having a little bit more belief in me. That's all I really needed.'
Hockey is in the Lonergan blood. One of seven siblings who all played the sport at different times, it is all that the Western player has known for most of her life. That family support and encouragement has gone a long way.
'We all have played and some still play,' adds Fran. 'I'm actually the worst out the lot of them! They were all very talented but went on to focus on other things. But they're all really supportive and come to as many games as they can. When I was younger they would help out with money for trips and things like that. So I couldn't have done this without them. They've been a massive help.
'I remember being on holiday in Ireland and I was trying to make the Scotland under-16 squad. I wasn't the fittest but my mum would get me up every morning and take me out running. She would draw the outline of a hockey pitch on a rural road just to make sure I got my distances right. So I owe her and the rest of the family a lot.'
Balancing the demands of international hockey with studying to become a doctor is not always easy, especially when you attend university in Aberdeen but train and play primarily in Glasgow. Lonergan, though, is finding a way to get it all done.
'I live this sort of weird hybrid student/full-time athlete life,' she adds with a laugh. 'The university have been incredibly supportive. I don't get off with not doing the work but they're extremely flexible in terms of managing my workload and giving me time off. It's all a bit of a juggling act but I wouldn't have it any other way.'