Gemma McCaw (born 2 May 1990) is a New Zealand field hockey player. She has played over 200 tests for the Black Sticks since 2008.
McCaw played in the team in London in 2012 and at the 2010 Delhi and 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. She went to the Beijing Olympics in 2008
| Gemma McCaw | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name: | Gemma McCaw, née Flynn |
| Born: | 2 May 1990 (age 34 years old) |
| Place of birth: | Tauranga, New Zealand |
| Nationality: | New Zealander |
| Education: | Sports science |
| Alma mater: | Massey University |
| Parents: | Michelle Flynn, Rob Flynn |
| Children: | Charlotte, Grace, Ella |
| Spouse: | Richie McCaw (m. 2017) |
| Siblings: | Isaac Flynn, Jared Flynn |
| Occupation: | Field hockey player |
| Position: | Striker/Midfield |
| Height: | 1.68 m |
Early life
Gemma McCaw, née Flynn, was born on 2 May 1990 in Tauranga, New Zealand. She is of Māori descent and affiliates to Te Arawa.
Her father, Rob, is an engineer, while her mother, Michelle Flynn, is a teacher. She has two siblings, Jared and Isaac, and is the youngest child of her parents.
Her family has shown her support all through her career. According to her mother, as a child, she was good at all sports and was a “bit of a daredevil. She began playing hockey again at 15 years old after quitting it for two years to play football.
Education
Gemma studied at Tauranga Intermediate School and Tauranga Girls’ College. She holds a degree in sports science from Massey University.
Career
Hockey
Hockey star Gemma had already scored over 60 international goals by 2016. Earlier in 2009, she bagged the World Hockey Young Women’s Player of the Year award.
She has played for the Black Sticks Women, NZ’s women’s national field hockey team, since 2008. She was selected to compete for the team at the Summer Olympics in 2008, 2012, and 2016 and at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and 2014.
McCaw was a nominee for the 2009 FIH Women’s Young Player of the Year. Her team finished 4th at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. While her team reached the final game of the 2015 FIH World League, they lost 5-1 to Argentina.
In 2016, the Hockey star took a break from hockey after the Summer Olympics and later retired. She came out of retirement in 2019 and reached her 250th cap for the national team in 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic delayed her intentions to compete in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Other ventures
McCaw and other seasoned personalities, including Kane Williamson, Tiki Taane, Ria Hall, and Luuka Jones, were behind the Bay of Plenty’s No Place Like Home tourist campaign in January 2016.
The three-time field hockey Olympian is an ambassador for the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation and Sport New Zealand. According to Stuff, she runs a business with former Silver Fern Maree Bowden.
Personal life
Gemma McCaw married All Blacks captain Richie McCaw at an intimate wedding in Wanaka on 14 January 2017. Anna Schimmel designed her wedding dress and her veil.
“I never had the fairytale type of vision in my head, but I knew the look and feel I wanted – classic, timeless, and elegant. Once I had the picture in my mind, I explained it to Anna and she drew it pretty much on the first go.”
The duo started dating in 2013 and she moved to be with him in Christchurch in 2014. After two years, they became engaged in early 2016.
The sporting couple has three daughters – Charlotte, Grace, and Ella. They welcomed their youngest daughter, Ella Mae McCaw, on 3 April 2023.
References
- Kevin Norquay. “Gemma Flynn ‘vivacious and energetic’ – more than just Richie’s bride-to-be“. www.stuff.co.nz.
- Auckland reporter. “Richie and Gemma McCaw announce birth of third baby girl“. www.stuff.co.nz.
- NZ Herald. “Mr and Mrs McCaw: Richie and Gemma’s dream wedding“. www.nzherald.co.nz.
