Managing money abroad as a Team GB hockey player

Sarah Jones plays hockey for Wales and Great Britain as a midfielder. Earlier this year, she opened a Starling account to help her manage her money when she travels for matches.

International hockey

“I’ve been playing since I was 11 in secondary school,” says Sarah, who grew up in Wales. “I carried on when I went to Loughborough University and at the end of those three years I got involved with the Welsh team.”

“Hockey is a constantly evolving game, it’s very fast and it’s hugely down to teamwork and how you can work together. I didn’t make sport my career in a very traditional way. A lot of people are targeted at universities but I got into playing professionally later.“

Travelling with Starling

Sarah opened her Starling account in January 2019 after hearing about it from a friend. “I couldn’t believe how easy the whole process was - it’s normally so painful,” she says. Since then she has played in Australia, New Zealand, China and Spain. With Starling, we won’t block your card when you use it in a new country and we won’t charge you any fees for using your card overseas or withdrawing cash. The days of having to inform your bank when you’re away are over - it works perfectly for someone who’s in Germany one week and Holland the next.

Budgeting with Starling

Sarah started using Starling for her overseas matches but now uses it for her everyday money management back in the UK. “I really like the way it breaks everything into categories and tells you how much you’ve spent daily; it makes everything very clear. I also like that if you want to make a payment, you can flick between the screens of your Starling app and the text where your friend’s account details are.”

Sarah was asked to become part of the full-time professional team in November last year. Previously, she did hockey part-time alongside her job at the LTA, the national governing body of tennis in the UK. “I don’t spend so much time sitting down in front of a desktop anymore, which was when I’d check my account. With the app, I just open it wherever I am to have a general check-up. Starling definitely helps you budget.”

Find out more about how Starling can help you manage your money at home and abroad by looking at our features page.