Metchette, primarily a left back, represented her province Leinster at all levels and played her club hockey with Old Alexandra where she won two ESB Irish Senior Cups, 1988 and 1991.

Metchette started umpiring in a rather casual manner “If the club was stuck I would just go out and help them by umpiring on a Saturday after my own game” she commented. When she retired as a player in 2002 Metchette started to umpire on a more regular basis and was appointed at a domestic level to umpire at numerous cup finals.

Her first international appointment came in 2002 when she was appointed to the U18 Europeans in Rotterdam where she really got a taste for umpiring “it was such a fantastic tournament, it really was enjoyable”.

Since then Metchette has been appointed by the EuroHockey Federation and International Hockey Federation to numerous tournaments all over the world while continuing to umpire at a domestic level. Among numerous high profile events these included the 2005 Junior World Cup in Chile and the recent EuroHockey Nations Championship in Manchester.

Commenting on her appointment she was obviously thrilled, “I was speechless when I got the notification it is such a huge honour to be appointed to umpire at the Olympics and I am both thrilled and proud”.

The next few months look set to be busy for this married mother of two. In March she is off to Paris to umpire at the EuroHockey Cup Winners Cup and then in April she is heading out to the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Baku, all before what will no doubt be a busy summer.

Last year Carole Metchette was also recognised for her excellent umpiring skills when she received the Umpire of the Year Award at the ESB Dawson Travel Irish Hockey Awards. Ireland’s Ray O’Connor who was Ireland’s first male umpire to be appointed to the Olympics will also travel to Beijing as the Men’s Umpires’ Manager.