LAST Wednesday Wales Women hockey captain Abi Welsford picked up her trusty stick and bagged her 100th cap.

The 34-year-old from Usk who made her international debut more than a decade ago, took her number of caps into triple figures when she captained Wales to a 3-0 series win against France in Lille.

The Swansea City Ladies Forward who is also a full-time teacher at Bridgend's Bryn Teg Comprehensive School explained to BBC Radio Wales Sport, "I'm sure any sportsperson would say just to get one cap for their country is great, but obviously I'm really proud as well to get my 100th cap."

Welsford, who first captained Wales in 2013, may have reached those rare realms of athletic glory, where the inhabitants need three digits to add up the amount of caps won, but the modest hockey champ insists that her 100th cap is still just as precious to her as her first.

"In the early days we didn't have quite so many competitions, so it's taken me quite a while to get to my 100th," explained Abbi.

"But I can actually remember my first cap: it was in 2003 playing in Cardiff in the Celtic Cup, and I just remember sitting on the bench in the first half being very inexperienced and then just waiting for my opportunity to get on.

"Luckily that came in the second half and I even managed to score on my debut - so that was a bit of a highlight there, although we ended up losing 2-1 to Ireland.

"The novelty never wears off and as you get further towards the end of your career you value it even more."

Abi, whose favourite quote is, "The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary", led Wales to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last summer and was also a part of the team at Delhi 2010.

Reflecting on her career Abi explained, "It's definitely the two Commonwealth Games that have been a major highlight.

"The one in Delhi was the first time that I'd played in such a big event with lots of different sports.

"I was thinking Glasgow was going to better it and I can honestly say it did, just the atmosphere there and having a 'home' Games with lots of familiar faces in the crowd was just a different experience."

Not one to let her 100th cap go to her head, Abi will join Wales in preparing for their EuroHockey Championship division two campaign, which starts on July 18 in Prague, Czech Republic.

Proud father Richard Welsford told the Chronicle, "It's rare for any athlete to reach this achievement and it's all the more laudable for amateur athletes who holds down full time jobs."