De Waard: 'I find it difficult to put this behind me'

Naturally, on Saturday afternoon in Bilthoven, all eyes went to Xan de Waard. The thirty-year-old star player of SCHC who saw her very last chance for a national title go up in smoke due to the elimination in the semi-finals of the play-offs against Amsterdam. The two-time World Player of the Year therefore said goodbye to club hockey in an emotional way.

The tears were still flowing at SCHC when De Waard left the dug-out. For a moment it looked like she was going to walk off the field, but she turned left. To a little man, only a few years old. A small man, with a small football. It was her nephew.

It was a day full of feelings for the 238-time international - who will only stop playing hockey completely after the World Cup - she says. 'I was a bit emotional today. That already started at home. It actually took me by surprise. I don't show that very often. But now I couldn't keep it to myself.'