Anthony Ruschenbaum, director of hockey at Hoërskool Nelspruit, has his focus firmly fixed on what lies ahead after joining the U21 SA Women’s team coaching staff at the FIH Junior World Cup in Chile in December.

Ruschenbaum’s time with the U21 SA Women was his second call-up to national coaching duty, having previously been part of the team that won the Junior Africa Cup in April last year, thereby qualifying for the 11th edition of the FIH Junior World Cup. He served on the coaching staff as the team’s video analyst, offering critical, in-depth analysis of their performances.

It proved to be a tough learning curve for the team, who finished 15th overall, but for this Lowveld coach it was an invaluable experience that he will cherish forever. “It was an amazing experience to be a part of,” Ruschenbaum told this publication. “Seeing the ins and outs of a tournament unfold from the tower, meeting people from all over the world and seeing how everyone has a different way of doing or approaching things was genuinely an eye-opener.”

He drew significant lessons from his time in Chile. “My biggest takeaway has to be the attention to detail. Often, as coaches, we tend to want to change the plan completely when something isn’t working, rather than looking at how we could adapt it to make it better and more efficient for us as a team,” he said.

An alumnus of Hoërskool Generaal Hertzog, Ruschenbaum (29) was born and raised in eMalahleni. He first picked up a hockey stick at the age of 10 and never looked back after falling in love with the game. Initially a defender, he transitioned to forward in high school, which culminated in him representing the Mpumalanga U18A team under coach Misty Reingruber, now his mentor on his coaching journey.

Beyond school, Ruschenbaum continued to play at club and provincial level, being named joint top goal-scorer at the 2017 U21 IPT alongside current Protea hockey player Jacques van Tonder. Over time, he transitioned into coaching, a spark that was first ignited during his school years. “I got involved at The Hockey Farm Academy, and this is where I met some amazing people who helped guide me on my coaching journey, most notably Brighty Mashaba, Tyler Calitz and Claudine Calitz.”

After stints at Robert Caruthers School and HTS Witbank, he joined NHS in 2023 and now, in his fourth year at the school, is set to begin a new chapter as director of hockey. While he enjoyed success in eMalahleni, the bulk of his achievements have come in NHS colours. With the U14 boys in 2023, he oversaw a 27-match unbeaten run. In 2024, he guided the first boys’ team to second place in Mpumalanga and third at the Noordvaal A tournament, and in 2025 the side again finished as Mpumalanga runners-up.

He also boasts provincial experience, most recently as part of the Mpumalanga U18A boys coaching staff that won the B section at the IPT in 2025. It marked the first time a Mpumalanga boys’ team had been promoted to the A-section. “It was our mission to get the team promoted to the A-section, which is no easy feat, and now the work begins to stay there this year!”

Looking ahead, Ruschenbaum’s aspirations are closer to home as he awaits the possibility of another national call-up.

“My goals for 2026 are for NHS to compete at the highest possible level and for Mpumalanga U18A to remain in the A-section at this year’s IPT,” he concluded.