When Matthew Ruetsch (School House 2018–2022) arrived at St Paul’s, hockey wasn’t part of his plan. Sport had always been a massive part of his life and, growing up in Switzerland, he played football and ice hockey, even earning selection for a national Under-15 training tournament on the ice. That changed in 2018 when his family moved to New Zealand, bringing his ice hockey career to an end.
Years later, in early 2021, an email landed in his inbox that would change everything. The Boys’ First XI hockey team was without a goalkeeper and was putting out an SOS call. “Having never played field hockey before, I was nervous to pad up for the first time, but after my first training, I knew it was meant to be,” Matthew recalls.
In just his third year in the sport, Matthew represented Waikato at the 2022 Under-18 national tournament, where the team finished third, earning him an invitation to the Junior Black Sticks Under-18 Supercamp. He went on to play for Waikato in the National Hockey Championship in 2022 and 2023, and this year was invited to the Junior Black Sticks Under-21 Supercamp.
In August 2025, his rise reached a new milestone with selection for the Vantage Black Sticks men’s squad for the 2025 Oceania Cup in Darwin, Australia. Former coach Mr Matt Rees-Gibbs calls it “a pretty incredible story” for a player who only picked up the sport in Year 12.
The Oceania Cup, to be held from 4–7 September, will see Matthew join the country’s top players in a key tournament on the international calendar. His journey from answering a school team’s urgent call to representing New Zealand is a testament to adaptability, determination and rapid development.
Congratulations Matthew, we look forward to seeing you represent New Zealand on the international hockey stage.
