Highfield and Brookham teacher represents South Africa at Masters Hockey World Cup

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A Highfield and Brookham School teacher has returned from Belgium after representing South Africa at the Masters Hockey World Cup, competing on the international stage for the third time at the age of 61.

Maths and sports teacher Su Mattingly, from Grayshott, was part of the South African team competing at the 2026 World Masters Hockey World Cup in Brasschaat, near Antwerp, where her country finished eighth. Su joined Highfield and Brookham last year, bringing her lifelong passion for hockey to the Liphook-based co-educational independent prep school, where sport plays a central role in school life.

It was the latest chapter in a lifelong connection with hockey for Su, who began playing while still at school in South Africa. After emigrating to the UK in 1999, she continued playing and has spent the past 12 years with Haslemere Hockey Club, where she remains a regular player.

The World Cup in Belgium was Su’s third, following her first appearance on home soil in Cape Town in 2022 and a second in Auckland in 2024. As the Masters game continues to grow internationally, she says competition for places has become increasingly tough.

Su said: “The World Cup is growing at a rapid rate and there are more and more teams competing. As the tournament grows, it becomes more competitive, so it becomes harder to make the team.

“My first World Cup was in Cape Town in 2022 and it was wonderful to experience that at home because lots of friends and family could come and watch. Auckland in 2024 was my first ‘away’ World Cup, which was a very different experience and so much fun. Belgium was great because it was easy to get to and being in Europe meant there were lots of interesting places to visit on our days off.”

On the pitch, South Africa faced a demanding series of matches. Their tournament began against Scotland, where they scored first to take a 1-0 lead before Scotland responded strongly to secure a 4-1 victory.

The team bounced back in their next match with a 1-0 win over Chile before facing a strong New Zealand side. A difficult defeat meant South Africa had to regroup quickly, but they responded with a 2-0 victory over the USA.

Su said: “After the New Zealand game, we had to dig deep, reset and make sure we went into the next match with a good mental attitude. To come back and get a 2-0 win against the USA was a great feeling.

“There were some tough games and moments when we had to show real grit and perseverance and not let our heads drop. You have to be able to pick yourself up and go again.”

South Africa later faced table-topping England on a particularly hot day in Antwerp. Despite a determined performance, they were beaten 2-0, taking them into the play-off for seventh and eighth place.

Their final game brought a second meeting with New Zealand. Although South Africa were unable to reverse the earlier result, the match proved a much closer contest and the team finished the World Cup in eighth place.

For Su, however, Masters hockey is about more than results.

She said: “I love playing Masters hockey. It has a completely different feel to club hockey because you are playing with like-minded players who are similar to you in age. It is always great fun and I’m just grateful and thankful that I can still be competing at this level.”

Away from international competition, Su brings her own experience and enthusiasm for sport directly into school life at Highfield and Brookham, coaching pupils across Years 3 to 8. Alongside teaching maths and sport, she takes boys’ and girls’ hockey teams for fixtures, as well as girls’ netball and cricket, sharing the knowledge gained from a lifetime of playing hockey to help young players develop their skills, grow in confidence and enjoy their sport.

The school’s sporting provision is supported by extensive facilities across its 175-acre grounds. Since opening its full-size International Hockey Federation (FIH) standard astro pitch in 2020, Highfield has continued to invest in the opportunities available to pupils across a wide range of sports.

For the young players Su coaches, her World Cup experience offers a first-hand example of the demands of competitive sport. Her tournament in Belgium saw her experience the disappointment of defeat as well as the challenge of regrouping for the next match, demonstrating the resilience and perseverance she encourages in the young people she coaches.

Mrs Suzannah Cryer, Head of Highfield and Brookham School, said: “It is wonderful for our children to be taught and coached by someone who not only has such a passion for her sport, but is still out there competing at an international level.

“Su’s experience in Belgium is a brilliant reminder that sport is about so much more than winning. The way she and her teammates responded to difficult results, picked themselves up and went back out ready for the next challenge is exactly the kind of resilience we want our children to develop through sport.

“I know our pupils will love hearing about her experience at the World Cup, and I hope seeing their own teacher continuing to compete and enjoy her sport will encourage them to keep pursuing the things they love too.”