The thrill of playing in front of a passionate 12,000 crowd has been a highlight of the World Cup for hockey star Natalie Seymour.

The Canterbury defender has featured in every game for England as they reached the semi-finals in Rosario, Argentina.

But after beating Spain 3-2, China 1-0 and South Africa 2-1 and drawing 1-1 with Korea, they finished their qualifying pool with a 2-0 defeat against the host nation, which left them the daunting prospect of playing world and Olympic champions the Netherlands tonight (Thursday) for a place in Saturday’s final.

Seymour, 23, said: "The match against Argentina was an unbelievable experience, a real once-in-a-lifetime occasion. It’s the biggest crowd I’ve played in front of, by some way.

"It was noisy and exciting but when we did our warm-down afterwards they seemed respectful of the way we had performed."

Seymour started the tournament with 41 international caps but said her first World Cup was a "real learning experience," adding: "You have ups and downs but I’m pleased with the way it’s been going. As a defensive unit we’ve put in some strong performances."

If England lose to the Netherlands, they will play in the bronze medal match before the final on Saturday. Then they have less than a month before heading off to India for the Commonwealth Games tournament."

Picture: Ady Kerry