Rachael Lynch

{{Infobox field hockey player

| name = Rachael Lynch
{{nobold|{{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM|size=90%}}}}

| image = Hockeyroos 2013 (9209583725).jpg

| caption = Lynch (left) with Toni Cronk

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1986|7|2}}

| birth_place = Warrandyte, Victoria, Australia

| height = 1.78 m

| weight = 68 kg

| position = Goalkeeper

| currentclub = Camberwell Hockey Club

| nationalyears1 = 2006–

| nationalteam1 = Australia

| nationalcaps1 = 222

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| show-medals = no

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{AUS}}}}

}}

Rachael Anne Lynch (born 2 July 1986){{cite web |url=https://tms.fih.ch/competitions/1162/reports/teams |title=Team Details – Australia |publisher=International Hockey Federation |website=tms.fih.ch |accessdate=15 February 2020}} is a field hockey player from Australia.{{cite web |url=https://hockey.org.au/player/rachael-lynch/ |title=Rachael Lynch |publisher=Hockey Australia |website=hockey.org.au |accessdate=15 February 2020}}

Personal life

Rachael Lynch was born and raised in Warrandyte, a suburb of Melbourne.

She worked as a nurse in neuro-rehabilitation at the Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth,{{cite web |url=https://www.athletesvoice.com.au/rachael-lynch-saving-goals-bettering-lives/ |title=Hockey Saving goals and bettering lives Rachael Lynch |publisher=Athlete's Voice |website=athletesvoice.com.au |date=15 March 2019 |accessdate=15 February 2020}} and previously worked at the Royal Perth Hospital.{{cite web |url=https://www.olympics.com.au/olympians/rachael-lynch/ |title=Rachael Lynch |publisher=Australian Olympic Committee |website=olympics.com.au |accessdate=15 February 2020}}

Career

=Domestic leagues=

==Australian Hockey League==

Prior to the disbandment of the Australian Hockey League (AHL), Lynch was a member of the Victorian Vipers. Throughout her career with the team, she won the national title on two occasions, in 2012 and 2017.{{cite web |url=https://footscrayhockey.com.au/2012/10/28/victoria-win-the-2012-womens-australian-hockey-league-sam-scores/ |title=VICTORIA WIN THE 2012 WOMEN'S AUSTRALIAN HOCKEY LEAGUE-SAM SCORES !! |publisher=Footscray Hockey Club |website=footscrayhockey.com.au |accessdate=15 February 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://hockeyaustralia.altiusrt.com/people/993/ |title=LYNCH Rachael |publisher=Hockey Australia |website=hockeyaustralia.altiusrt.com |accessdate=15 February 2020}}

==Hockey One==

After the introduction of the Hockey One League in 2019, Lynch was named a member of the HC Melbourne team in the inaugural tournament.{{cite web |url=https://hockeyone.com.au/teams/hockey-club-melbourne/women/squad/ |title=HC Melbourne – Women's Team |publisher=Hockey One |website=hockeyone.com.au |date=5 July 2019 |accessdate=15 February 2020}} The team finished second, losing the final in penalties.{{cite web |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/swoop/hockey-one-grand-final-hockey-club-melbourne-lose-thrilling-shootout-with-brisbane-blaze/news-story/ea4a78b97130e4a559223d47d3328ee5 |title=Hockey One Grand Final: Hockey Club Melbourne lose thrilling shootout with Brisbane Blaze |publisher=Herald Sun |website=heraldsun.com.au |date=16 November 2019 |accessdate=15 February 2020}}

=Hockeyroos=

Lynch made her senior international debut for the Hockeyroos in 2006, in a test match against England. She won a silver medal with the team in 2009 at the Champions Trophy in Sydney.{{cite web |url=https://tms.fih.ch/people/124 |title=LYNCH Rachael |publisher=International Hockey Federation |website=tms.fih.ch |accessdate=15 February 2020}}

Lynch has medalled three times at the Commonwealth Games, winning gold in 2010 and 2014, as well as silver in 2018.{{cite web |url=https://results.gc2018.com/en/hockey/athlete-profile-n6032599-rachael-lynch.htm |title=Rachael LYNCH |publisher=GoldCoast2018 |website=results.gc2018.com |accessdate=15 February 2020}}{{cite web |url=http://commonwealthgames.com.au/athletes/rachael-lynch/ |title=RACHAEL LYNCH |publisher=Commonwealth Games |website=commonwealthgames.com.au |date=3 April 2018 |accessdate=15 February 2020}} She also medalled at five consecutive Oceania Cups, winning three golds and two silvers from 2011 to 2019.

Lynch appeared in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

During the first season of the FIH Pro League, Lynch reached a career milestone, becoming the most capped goalkeeper to play for the Australian national team, a record previously set at 207 caps by Rachel Imison.{{cite web |url=https://www.fihproleague.com/women/players/lynch-rachael__82744__5308 |title=LYNCH Rachael Goal Keeper 27 |publisher=FIH Pro League |website=fihproleague.com |accessdate=15 February 2020}}{{cite web |title=Late Goal Ends Hockeyroos' Winning Run |url=https://hockey.org.au/late-goal-ends-hockeyroos-winning-run/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215083400/https://hockey.org.au/late-goal-ends-hockeyroos-winning-run/ |archive-date=2020-02-15 |accessdate=15 February 2020 |website=hockey.org.au |publisher=Hockey Australia}}

In December 2020, the Hockeyroos selection panel dropped Lynch from the national squad for 2021, essentially ending her career twelve months after she won the FIH Goalkeeper of the Year award. The removing of Lynch and former captain Georgina Morgan prompted an emergency meeting of the Hockeyroos, with the team considering a players' strike.{{cite news |last1=Hytner |first1=Mike |title=Australia's Hockeyroos consider strike action after key players dropped |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/03/hockeyroos-consider-strike-action-after-key-players-dropped |access-date=26 January 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=3 December 2020}} In April 2021, Lynch won her appeal and returned to the Hockeyroos.{{cite news |title=Hockeyroos stars win appeal against exclusion from Olympics team |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-15/hockeyroos-georgie-morgan-rachael-lynch-win-appeal/100073014 |access-date=26 January 2024 |work=ABC News |date=15 April 2021 |language=en-AU}}

In June 2021, Lynch was selected as the keeper to represent Australia in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.{{cite news |title=Rachael Lynch bounces back from controversial axing to make Hockeyroos Olympic squad |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-14/olympics-rachael-lynch-named-in-tokyo-hockeyroos-squad/100213896 |access-date=26 January 2024 |work=ABC News |date=14 June 2021 |language=en-AU}} The Hockeyroos lost 1-0 to India in the quarter-finals and therefore were not in medal contention.{{Cite web|title=Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo 2021|url=https://www.theroar.com.au/olympics/australian-olympic-team/|access-date=2022-02-19|website=The Roar|language=en-US}}

Recognition

Since the introduction of the Goalkeeping Award in the FIH Player of the Year Awards in 2014, Lynch has been nominated on three occasions.{{cite web |title=BEST GOALKEEPER |url=http://fih.ch/events/hockey-stars-awards/hockey-stars-2019/past-winners/best-goalkeeper/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206220019/http://fih.ch/events/hockey-stars-awards/hockey-stars-2019/past-winners/best-goalkeeper/ |archive-date=2020-02-06 |accessdate=15 February 2020 |website=fih.ch |publisher=International Hockey Federation}}

In 2019, Lynch won the award for the first time.{{cite web |title=Rachael Lynch crowned FIH Goalkeeper of the Year |url=https://hockeyvictoria.org.au/rachael-lynch-crowned-fih-goalkeeper-of-the-year/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215083402/https://hockeyvictoria.org.au/rachael-lynch-crowned-fih-goalkeeper-of-the-year/ |archive-date=2020-02-15 |accessdate=15 February 2020 |website=hockeyvictoria.org.au |publisher=Hockey Victoria}}

Lynch was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) at the 2024 Australia Day Honours for service to hockey.{{cite web |title=Ms Rachael Anne Lynch |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/3018014 |website=Australian Honours Search Facility |publisher=Australian Government |access-date=26 January 2024}}