Shelley Russell gets 200th national cap

Russell's first cap with the South African women's national team was in 2006, in front of a packed crowd at the Stellenbosch University Coetzenburg Astro where she was enrolled at the time.

"They announced my first cap over the loudspeaker as I ran on as a replacement in front of my friends and family. I was so nervous but I was advised by one of the experienced players that if I made the first touch of the ball a simple receive and pass it would calm my nerves. I did just that and before I knew it the game was over. I could not tell you the score was at that point because I was so on edge, but we won the test, and that added to making it such an exhilarating and memorable day for me," she recalls.

Lower back injury

In her finest moment in South African kit, Russell represented South Africa at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Having been plagued with a lower back injury for the eight months leading up to the Olympics, and a late illness scare thought to be an inflamed appendix, she says that it was a miracle that she was there at all. "Every single match played for one's country is special, but Hockey World Cups and the Olympic Games are truly fantastic."

Another highlight for Shelley was scoring her first international goal. It was a hit from the top of the circle against England - which she celebrated with three huge tuck jumps. "I am not known as one of the main goal-scorers in the team; my role being mainly to attack into the circle and set up penalty corners, or to create opportunities for other strikers to finish the job," she says. "It was also a huge thrill for me to get a vital early goal in the final of the Olympic qualifying tournament against India in Delhi in 2012, which helped us earn our place at the London Olympics."

Working career on hold

At 26 years old, it's quite possible that she will have many more opportunities to up her national cap tally, but her age also means that she is looking closely at a working career. "Playing in a professional sports environment means that I have put my working career on hold. Whether I will be able to continue playing at such an intense and dedicated level while holding down a career remains to be seen. Ideally I would love to keep going while I still have such motivation and passion for the sport and the national team."

She would ultimately like to follow in captain Marsha Cox's footsteps, and make it to her 300th cap. "You don't want to presume that you will always remain in the coach's plans or that you will remain injury-free and that circumstances preventing you from living the dream won't arise. For now, we have a programme of preparation for the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 in May and at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014 in July; so right now I am taking it one game at a time."