Words that will be music to the ears for the rest of the Holcombe Ladies 1 XI squad. Holcombe and Wales defender Jo Westwood praises Trunk’s leadership skills in helping develop her teammates, none more so than herself.

 

“Emma has helped me personally grow as a player, with this being my first year in Premier League hockey, she will have honest conversations with me about where I can improve. She will continue to help me on the field whilst still performing herself, I couldn’t think of a more deserving player to receive this award,” Westwood compliments.   

 

Trunks stressed how hard she has worked this year in order of achieving such a prestigious individual honour. “I had a really good year hockey-wise so it was a nice pat on the back from my teammates.” Again, so humble.

 

Trunks had never played in the national league prior to joining the University of Birmingham in 2014. So in terms of her hockey career there has been more than a degree of progression. Struggling for fulltime work, joining the British Universities and Colleges Sport organisation (BUCS) as Regional Development Officer brought about change from life in the Midlands. It also opened the door for Trunks to join Holcombe.

 

“The job came up at BUCS and I suppose it was more of I needed a move and was looking to go somewhere new for hockey as well. I’d been at Birmingham for four years so I was looking for that next change which came with getting a new job and starting my career,” Trunks says.

 

So where does Holcombe Ladies 1 XI Player of the Season fit in to the side? At fullback, a “quite fiery” 5ft 2” Trunks is a physical player who feels distribution is a main part of her game. “In terms of my speed, our forwards and strikers are getting faster every time we play them and I like to think I can keep up with most of them,” she says. Many traditional fullbacks in Hockey are “a bit taller,” admits Trunks, but her various other strengths in defence make sure amends.

 

Despite finishing 2nd in the league table this season, it was a hard pill to swallow in the end – an aura of regret was felt. With seven draws from their 18 fixtures, Holcombe missed out on first place by just three points. Converting just two of those draws into victories would have sealed the deal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Overall, it’s very positive that we finished second, it’s the highest we’ve ever finished as Holcombe Ladies. There was still that reflection that if we had converted some of those draws into wins, we would have been top of the table so there’s stuff to build on for next year.”

 

Part of the GB Elite Development Programme since 2012, Trunks laughed as she exposed the group’s nickname for her: “The old lady!” As part of an Under-23s group, 25-year-old Trunks simply has her sights set on earning a senior trial. Having already tasted vast international experience, taking home bronze medals in the 2014 Under-21s European Championships and 2018 Seniors European Indoor Championships, she’s dreaming of a professional contract – despite admitting she doesn’t like to think about it too much…

 

“I still have to work fulltime so I don’t want to get too carried away,” she says. “I’m still on the right path for it so fingers crossed – another six to eight months of hard work – and hopefully that opportunity will be on the table for me.”

 

Currently training the Holcombe Under-16s, Trunks says coaching could give her that “hockey fix” if the international pathway starts to disappear. At this rate, the path is well and truly visible and leading Trunks down the right roads.

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