Ipswich hockey umpire Steve Rogers hand picked to head to India for World Cup

After weeks of sitting on the secret, an Ipswich hockey umpire can reveal he has been hand-picked to represent Australia as an umpire in the 2023 World Cup.

After weeks of sitting on the secret, an Ipswich hockey umpire can reveal he has been hand-picked to represent Australia as an umpire in the 2023 World Cup.

Steve Rogers “lives and breathes” hockey and said he was shocked to find out he had been chosen for the World Cup which is being hosted in India.

Mr Rogers said he began playing hockey at about four years old, and by 12 or 13 he was umpiring.

“Then I went through state titles, national titles, and then in about 2005 I got my first international,” he said.

“Then I got upgraded from international to development, then to grade 1 and then last year I was upgraded to the pro league panel, which means you can travel all over the world to (umpire) the top teams of the world.”

Steve Rogers (left) was awarded this shirt from Ipswich North's hockey club after he played 500 games and Steven Profke who was awarded a shirt for his 700 games.

He has played A-grade and competed in more than 500 games for Norths Hockey Ipswich club and this year played for the Cobras in the B-grade grand final.

A few weeks ago, Mr Rogers found out he had been hand-selected to be one of the umpires representing Australia in the Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023.

Mr Rogers said he was chosen following a fitness test, his performance in recent tournaments and recommendations from his peers.

“So I was pretty lucky,” he said.

“I was shocked, it was one thing I wasn’t waiting for because the Commonwealth Games are coming up.

“The World Cup is like 14 months away to get an appointment this early is pretty good and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Mr Rogers’ umpiring career has also given him the opportunity to travel to countries including Argentina, New Zealand and Malaysia.

“Argentina was amazing,” Mr Rogers said.

“It’s pretty much one of their national sports, we were getting 25,000 people to a game.

“It was pretty much the first time Argentina and the Netherlands have played each other since the previous Olympics so it was amazing.

“It was something I’ve always wanted to do and never thought I’d get the chance to.”

Steve Rogers playing for the Cobra's in this year's Brisbane B-grade grand final.

Proud partner Bijanca Dukes said she had never seen Mr Rogers so excited as when he found out he had been chosen for the World Cup.

“This is the pinnacle of his umpiring career and he had finally reached it,” Ms Dukes said.

“Steve lives and breathes this sport.

“Steve rang me immediately after he received the email saying ‘I made it babe’.

“He got home and I’ve never seen him so excited, emotional and relieved.”

Mr Rogers said he was still waiting to find out more information about the World Cup but said he would be travelling to India in mid-January for a few weeks.