Three OMs head to India for the Men’s Hockey World Cup

OMs Toby Reynolds-Cotterill (Wales) and Stu Rushmere (England), will be heading to India to take part in the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2023 that will start on Friday 13 January, along with Ian Haley who is the Assistant Coach for team Wales. 

A total of 16 countries will feature in the tournament with matches at two venues in Odisha - the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, and the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. 

These 16 teams have been divided into four pools consisting of four teams in each, with the top team from each pool making it through to the quarterfinals. The second and third-placed teams from each pool will play the cross-over round, to decide the remaining four quarterfinalists. 

We spoke to OM Toby who will be competing at the games for the first time, he said, "We are really looking forward to being out in India. It’s been a long time coming, having qualified about 15 months ago, but it will certainly be worth the wait. We have a close-knit side which has the capabilities to do special things. As a nation, Wales have never qualified for the Men’s World Cup, so we are all looking forward to making history and hopefully doing our nation proud.” 

The debutants recently played the Indian Men's Hockey Team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, but at their first-ever FIH Men's Hockey World Cup, they will take on England and fellow OM, Stu Rushmere, during their opening game on Friday 13 January.  

Toby attended Millfield for Sixth Form between 2013-2015. He made his first ever Commonwealth appearance this summer representing Team Wales, and was one of four Welsh players to receive a call-up to the Great Britain Hockey training squad for 2022.  

As a goalkeeper, Toby received his first international caps for Wales in late 2021 when he represented Wales in a test match series against Malaysia. Soon after, he proved an integral member of the Welsh team as they qualified for their first-ever Hockey World Cup, taking place from Friday. 

OM Stu Rushmere will also be at the games representing team England. Stuart joined Millfield Prep for Year 7 in 2012, and remained part of the Millfield community until he departed the school after completing Upper Sixth seven years later. In February 2022, Stuart made his senior England debut against Spain, having progressed to the senior squad from the GB Elite Development Programme. In June he joined Surbiton Hockey Club from Loughborough University, where he studied and continued to playing hockey. 

Ian, Assistant Coach for team Wales, has been with the squad since May 2022, working across both the U21 and senior men's programmes.  

“It is really special to go to coach at the World Cup and test ourselves against the best, at two of the greatest hockey stadiums in the world. It is my second World Cup - my last being the 2010 Delhi edition as a player for South Africa. India is a really special place to play hockey and playing India in India will be a treat in itself.” - Ian.