Brooke Neal

{{short description|New Zealand field hockey player}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2019}}

{{Infobox field hockey player

| name = Brooke Neal

| image =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1992|7|4|df=y}}

| birth_place = Whangārei, New Zealand

| height = 1.80 m

| weight = 71 kg

| position = Defender

| currentclub = Northland

| nationalyears1 =

| nationalteam1 = New Zealand

| nationalcaps1 = 147

| nationalgoals1 =

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{NZL}}}}

{{MedalSport|Women's field hockey}}

{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}

{{MedalGold|2018 Gold Coast|Team}}

{{MedalCompetition|Oceania Cup}}

{{MedalGold|2019 Rockhampton|}}

{{MedalSilver|2017 Sydney|}}

}}

Brooke Neal (born 4 July 1992) is a New Zealand field hockey player who has played for the New Zealand national team.

Personal life

Neal attended Whangārei Girls' High School from 2006 to 2010 before studying communications at the University of Waikato.{{cite web|url=http://hockeynz.co.nz/News/brooke-neal-promoted-to-national-squad|title=Brooke Neal promoted to National Squad|website=Hockeynz.co.nz|access-date=11 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826150330/http://hockeynz.co.nz/News/brooke-neal-promoted-to-national-squad|archive-date=26 August 2018|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.waikato.ac.nz/about/hillary/scholars/BrookeNeal.shtml |title=Brooke Neal – Sir Edmund Hillary Scholar |website=Waikato.ac.nz |date=20 May 2013 |access-date=11 August 2016}} She graduated in 2013 as a [http://www.waikato.ac.nz/about/hillary/scholars/BrookeNeal.shtml Sir Edmund Hillary Scholar]

Neal's brother, Shay, also represents New Zealand at hockey and attended the Rio Olympics. Their journey can be followed [http://www.shayandbrooke.co.nz here] {{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11610010 |title=Hockey: Shay and Brooke Neal in studio on The Vox |date=22 March 2016 | work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=11 August 2016}}

Currently, Neal is an ambassador for the [https://web.archive.org/web/20161027192428/http://www.olympic.org.nz/assets/Uploads/NZOC-Ambassador-Profile-Brooke-Neal.pdf New Zealand Olympic Committee] and has been [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11728327 visiting schools] talking about her olympic experience.

She has also entered the corporate speaking circuit, where shares the lessons learned throughout her journey.

Playing career

Neal represented New Zealand at the 2013 Women's Hockey Junior World Cup, before making her national debut that same year.{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/sport/9323202/Neals-departing-gift-is-Black-Sticks-selection|title=Neal's departing gift is Black Sticks selection|first=Evan|last=Pegden|date=25 October 2013| work=Stuff.co.nz}}

She has competed in two World League finals, the most recent in 2015 [http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/75065209/live-black-sticks-v-argentina--hockey-world-league-final where the team came second], [http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/81038524/Black-Sticks-women-thump-Belgium-in-lead-in-to-Champions-Trophy-in-London Champions Trophy] in 2016, and she represented New Zealand at the 2016 Summer Olympics where her team came fourth.{{cite web|url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/brooke-neal |title=NEAL Brooke |website=Rio2016.com |access-date=11 August 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806060915/https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/brooke-neal |archive-date=6 August 2016 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.olympic.org.nz/athletes/brooke-neal/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160719025644/http://www.olympic.org.nz/athletes/brooke-neal/|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 July 2016|title=Brooke Neal – New Zealand Olympic Team|date=9 February 2016|website=Olympic.org.nz}}

She participated at the 2020 Women's FIH Pro League.{{cite web|url=https://tms.fih.ch/competitions/1162/reports/teams|page=8|title=Team Details New Zealand|website= tms.fih.ch. International Hockey Federation}}

References

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