Laura Unsworth

{{Infobox field hockey player

| name = Laura Roper
MBE
née Laura Unsworth

| image = Laura Unsworth in 2009.jpg

| caption = Unsworth at the 2010 Champions Trophy

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1988|3|8}}

| birth_place = Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands,
England

| height = 1.52 m

| weight = 55 kg

| position = Midfielder or Defender

| currentclub = East Grinstead

| years1 = 2003–2006

| clubs1 = Sutton Coldfield HC

| caps1 = 11

| goals1 = 13

| years2 = 2007–2012

| clubs2 = Loughborough Students

| caps2 = 19

| goals2 = 26

| years3 = 2013–2015

| clubs3 = Holcombe

| caps3 = 6

| goals3 = 5

| years4 = 2015–present

| clubs4 = East Grinstead

| caps4 =

| goals4 =

| nationalyears1 = 2008–present

| nationalteam1 = England

| nationalcaps1 = 150

| nationalgoals1 = 7

| nationalyears2 = 2009–present

| nationalteam2 = Great Britain

| nationalcaps2 = 134

| nationalgoals2 = 5

| nationalyears3 =

| nationalteam3 = ENGLAND & GB TOTAL:

| nationalcaps3 = 284

| nationalgoals3 = 12

| medaltemplates =

{{Medal|Country|{{GBR2}}}}

{{Medal|Country|{{ENG}}}}

|updated= 8 August 2022

}}

Laura Roper (née Laura Unsworth) (born 8 March 1988) is an English field hockey player who plays as a midfielder or defender for East Grinstead and the England and Great Britain national teams.{{Citation | title = Weekend Birthdays | newspaper = The Guardian | page = 45 | date = 8 March 2014 }}{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/un/laura-unsworth-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417235930/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/un/laura-unsworth-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Laura Unsworth |access-date=11 July 2017}}

She is the first British field hockey player to win three Olympic medals.{{cite web|url=https://news.sky.com/story/tokyo-olympics-team-gbs-womens-hockey-team-secure-bronze-after-thrilling-win-against-india-12373912|title=Tokyo Olympics: Team GB's women's hockey team secure bronze after thrilling win against India}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/aug/06/olympics-team-gb-women-hockey-bronze-medal-match-india|title = Team GB's women secure bronze in thrilling Olympic hockey win over India|website = TheGuardian.com|date = 6 August 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.eurosport.co.uk/olympics/athletes/profile/unsworth-laura-1444624/ |title=Beijing 2022 Olympics – News, Schedule & Videos |publisher=Eurosport |date= |accessdate=2021-12-13}}

Unsworth attended Coppice Primary School, Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls and Loughborough University.

Club career

Roper plays club hockey in the Women's England Hockey League Premier Division for East Grinstead.

She has also played for Holcombe, Loughborough Students and Sutton Coldfield.{{cite news |title=WHL Statistics|work=fixtureslive.com|location=UK |url=http://w.fixtureslive.com/player/15203/overview/Laura-Unsworth|accessdate=22 August 2016}}

International career

Unsworth made her international debut in 2008 and was part of the Great Britain teams that won the gold medal at the 2016 Olympics and bronze medals at the 2012 and 2020 Summer Olympics.

Unsworth has also competed for England at the European Championships winning three bronze, one silver and a Gold medal, won in London in 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.eurohockey2015.co.uk/|title=Unibet EuroHockey Championships 2015|website=Unibet EuroHockey Championships 2015|access-date=11 July 2017}} She also competed for England at the Commonwealth Games, securing bronze and silver at the 2010 and 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.greatbritainhockey.co.uk/players/gb-senior-squad/laura-unsworth|title = Laura Unsworth | Great Britain Hockey}}{{cite web|url=https://tms.fih.ch/people/522|title = International Hockey Federation}}