Tess Howard, former Durham University Hockey Club standout, has been awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her services to inclusive sportswear for women and girls.
His Majesty The King has awarded alumna Tess Howard (Geography, University College, 2017-22) the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to women and girls in sport. With the announcement of the King’s New Year Honours List 2025, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all of our alumni and friends who have been recognised for their outstanding achievements. The individuals celebrated exemplify the leadership and inspiration that define Durham University on a global scale. We take great pride in honouring their connection with our institution.
Originally from Cambridge, Tess immediately distinguished herself at Durham as a standout hockey player, teammate, and leader. Throughout her time here she was frequently called up to national team camps, travelling around the world while balancing a demanding academic workload alongside British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) matches.
Tess demonstrated strong leadership qualities and was particularly struck by the limited kit options available in women’s hockey—specifically the lack of alternatives to the traditional skort. This observation led her to explore the issue further in her dissertation research. She found that 70% of those surveyed reported that concerns about clothing and body image had contributed to girls dropping out of sports at school. Motivated by these findings, Tess launched Inclusive Sportswear CIC, an initiative aimed at giving female athletes a choice in their uniform—shorts or skorts—when playing hockey.
After completing her studies, Tess made her debut as a professional hockey player for England and Great Britain in 2018. Most recently, she represented Team GB at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. Since graduating, she has become a leading advocate for inclusivity in hockey. Using her platform as a Team GB athlete, she has worked to bring about change within the women’s game, starting at the international level. This movement, which she spearheaded, was first adopted by the England Hockey domestic league in the 2022/23 season, followed by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in June 2023. The English national team subsequently became the first to take to the field in a combination of hockey shorts and skorts during the 2023 EuroHockey Championships.
In an article published by The Hockey Paper, Tess stated: “The momentum has been building; now we must connect sports clothing to inclusion and participation in sport. But it’s so much more than that—this connects to a greater global movement for individual choice over how we clothe and treat our bodies.”
Team Durham is extremely proud of the impact made by Tess as a Hockey Club alumna. We applaud her vision and dedication to making sports a more inclusive space, and we are confident that she will continue to inspire future generations of Durham students and athletes.
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