England hockey player Hannah French has thanked the team's medical staff for helping her recover from a serious knee injury in time to compete at her third women's Hockey World Cup, set to be held in Belgium and the Netherlands later this month. French tore an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in November 2025 and was not initially expected to be fit for the tournament, but an intense rehabilitation process allowed her to secure a place in head coach David Ralph's 20-player squad.
The 31-year-old described the past eight and a half months as an emotional and demanding period, crediting the specialists around her for pushing her recovery forward faster than she anticipated.
"It's definitely been a rollercoaster, but I am so fortunate that I've had all the support and help along with my journey - and I've had that World Cup goal to aim for," French told BBC Radio Suffolk.
"It has been a bit of a whirlwind and it's just been eight and a half months (since the injury), so it was a quick turnaround. Some of the exercises you're doing you don't feel like you should be doing yet."
"But having those people beside you, to support you and keep pushing you forward, is the reason why I am here, there's no two ways about it. So, I am feeling really, really grateful."
What has French achieved in her career so far?
French was part of England's gold medal-winning squad at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and has represented Great Britain at two Olympic Games, including the bronze medal-winning campaign in Tokyo in 2020. She also featured for Great Britain at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where, according to an earlier report, she scored the decisive goal in a 2-1 win over South Africa.
This is not the first time French has fought back from injury to reach a major tournament. According to a report on , she made the Paris 2024 Olympic squad despite needing surgery for a fractured thumb shortly before selection, and said at the time that she consulted "several specialists" to return in peak physical condition.
How big is the support network behind British Olympic athletes?
The scale of medical and performance backing available to elite British athletes has grown substantially in recent years. Team GB's performance services group for the Paris 2024 Games included 43 staff members, among them Chief Medical Officer Charlotte Cowie and Chief Physiotherapist Nicki Combarro, according to Team GB. The British Olympic Association has said this network spans doctors, physiotherapists, psychologists, performance scientists, performance analysts, nutritionists and chefs, underlining the extensive infrastructure that supports athletes such as French through injury recovery.
How are England positioned heading into the tournament?
England currently sit seventh in the world rankings and have been placed in a pool alongside fourth-ranked China, as well as India and South Africa. French, one of the squad's most experienced campaigners, believes the mix of youth and experience gives England a genuine chance against the sport's leading nations.
"On any day, we can beat any team," French said. "We're playing top nations and getting results against them."
"We've got a lot of fresh talent, and a lot of experienced players, so I think that blend works quite nicely going into a major tournament."
"It's amazing to be a part of - and it feels like there is a real momentum in this team."
What happens next?
Great Britain's women are scheduled to open their pool campaign against South Africa on Sunday, 16 August 2026, according to . That fixture will mark French's first World Cup group match since completing her recovery from the ACL injury.
- French ruptured her ACL in November 2025 and returned to full international selection roughly eight and a half months later.
- She has been named in David Ralph's 20-player squad for the World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands.
- England are ranked seventh in the world and drawn in a pool with China (fourth), India and South Africa.
- The opening pool match against South Africa is scheduled for Sunday, 16 August 2026.
- French previously overcame a fractured thumb to make the Paris 2024 Olympic squad, where she scored a decisive goal against South Africa.
