Sport is fun with a capital ‘F’ and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who enjoys their chosen pursuit more than Kate Wright.

Kate is in her second season as captain of Painswick Hockey Club and is loving every minute of it.

She has only been playing the sport since her mid-30s but after a four-year spell as Painswick’s treasurer took over the captaincy at the start of last season.

“I got asked to do it at the AGM,” she said. “I’d got an inkling I was going to be asked and I said, ‘Go on, I’ll give it a go but I’ll only do it for one season’.”

So what made her decide to carry on?

“Mainly it was because last season went well,” she explained. “We’re prone to more losses than wins but last season we had triple or even quadruple the number of wins we’d had the previous season and we scored a lot more goals.

“The spirit is amazing, it’s really solid.”

Painswick play their hockey in Severn Division Three of the West Clubs’ Women’s League – they train at Wycliffe College and play their home fixtures at St Peter’s School in Gloucester – but Kate is not getting carried away by last season’s improved form and talk of promotion is not on the agenda.

“I don’t think we’re ready for that,” she laughed.

Kate is part of a core of players who have been involved with the club for a good number of years. They include Nikki Totterdell, Maggie Morse, Chris Jones, Lisa Bircher and Julie Aylmer.

The first four all still play while Julie is now chairman and is also the club’s umpire.

“We only have one team and sometimes we struggle to find 11 players,” admitted Kate. “We have a squad of about 15 but those who do play all really want to play.”

Mum of two grown up children Kate, who lives in Bussage, has always been into her horses and only took up hockey when her second daughter was very young.

“I needed to do something for myself,” she said. “I’d not picked up a hockey stick since I was at school and even when I was at school I didn’t play that much.”

But she’s certainly made up for lost time over the past decade and a half.

“I’ve always been one of the backs but I’ve been playing quite a lot in midfield since I’ve been captain,” she said. “Mind you,” she added, laughing, “I don’t think I’m fit enough for midfield.”

Hockey has become pretty much an all the year round sport for Kate because she was part of a Painswick team – the Red Devils – that finished third in the Back to Hockey Summer League held at Plock Court and run by former Wales international Lucie Archer.

“We enjoy playing hockey,” said Kate. “We’re all friends and we’ve all become close. I think we’ll always be involved, we’ll be on our zimmer frames coming to watch the youngsters play in years to come!”

Kate was laughing as she said it and she was laughing even more when she said: “Lisa [Bircher] has just become a granny, she’s the first granny among us!”

Clearly there’s a very good spirit in the team so what about Kate herself?

“I’m the selfie queen,” she laughed. “The others are always taking the mick because they always say I’m between relationships but I’ve been with my boyfriend for two years now!”

It’s all good fun of course and the club also run a mixed team who play friendlies on Sundays.

Kate has played for them in the past and she enjoyed it – that goes without saying.

And her friends certainly enjoy playing hockey as much as she does.

“Nikki Totts has been treasurer and an active member of the club for years and years,” said Kate. “Chris [Jones] has been captain many times and Lisa has been a long-serving member and captain and vice-captain.

“We’re a team of oldies but we’re very friendly. We have great teamwork, have fun and try to win.”

And Kate would love anyone who’d like to join the club – they train on Monday evenings and play on Saturdays – to give her a call on 07899 085069.

And anyone who joins is guaranteed some fun times!