Brown retires from Ireland hockey

Ireland captain Patrick Brown has announced his retirement from international hockey after nearly a decade competing at the highest level.

Brown amassed an impressive 151 caps, 92 of those as captain, an achievement that saw him surpass Marty Sloan's long standing record of 149 Irish caps.

He made his international debut against Scotland in 1998 and won his last cap against Argentina on 8 February.

Jason Black and Andy Barbour have also quit the international scene recently.

"I have always been motivated by a desire to play in an Olympic Games and it was very disappointing not to win the qualifying tournament in New Zealand in February.

"Having taken some time to consider my position, I have decided that the time is right for me to step out of international competition and dedicate more time to other areas of my life," said Brown.

Ireland coach Dave Passmore said Brown had been "an immense performer over the past three years".

"He has continually strived to get fitter and work harder at his game, improving with every tournament he has played since I arrived," added the Irish coach.

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