Although resembling a physique closer to that of a national schoolboy front rower, Samoan international, Mathew Te’o, prefers a hockey stick over a rugby ball.
Mathew follows a long family line of international representative hockey players.
It’s not often you’ll find an article on Pacific Island sportsmen from a sport other than rugby or rugby league, well at least not in Australia. Most Pacific men are typecast as rugby union or league players, and for good reason. The combination of size, speed, power, agility, tenacity and drive are a perfect recipe not only for today’s modern footy player but equally desirable in combat sports.
Despite having these attributes, Mathew has turned his back on rugby preferring to put his natural talent towards another sport. At only 17 years of age, Mathew plays for Samoa in their national hockey team and has represented them for the past 3 years. A coconut doesn’t fall far from the palm tree they say (clearly a Pacific Island adaptation). And not surprisingly Mathew’s mother, Peta Francis Te’o, is the current skipper and assistant coach for the Samoan Women’s team while his grandparents also played at representative hockey level.
Mathew, however, recounts how he felt a few years ago when things weren’t so clear. Early in his teens, Mathew was a promising rugby league player. However, his mother didn’t like the aggression associated with league and persuaded him to stick with hockey. Despite the ear pulling (metaphorically speaking) and his resultant angst, Mathew persevered with hockey aware his mother had dreamt of them playing alongside each other for Samoa. At the tender age of 15, this dream became reality when Mathew played for Samoa for the first time while also playing alongside other family members including his idol, his mum.
Since then, Mathew has stuck with hockey while demonstrating a strong commitment towards training and rep selection. Mathew presents as a mature young man with a healthy attitude.
Asked if training is hard and whether he cheats any of it, Mathew replied:
“As with any athlete, I have my good days and some bad ones when motivation is lacking. I don’t cheat any drills as I know my mum (coach) is watching so I will get flack at home if I tried to take short cuts, but mainly I believe taking a short cut in training means you’re only cheating yourself out of achieving greatness (this was back in Samoa)”
Mathew plays in the Dunedin hockey league, and he is one of only two Samoans in the entire league. Up until now Mathew hasn’t been offered a chance to play for New
Zealand but things may change. More recently Mathew has been selected in the Otago Boys High School hockey team’s starting side who are ranked 5th in the country.
Asked if he would represent New Zealand over Samoa Mathew replied: “That’s a tricky question. First because I am a proud Samoan. But in saying that, if I were given that opportunity, I would play for NZ as I know it would help me progress my hockey career.”
Unfortunately for the many supporters, this resonates with many players who play for their Pacific Nations team. But that’s the nature of the beast and we’ll leave that for another story. For now, Mathew and five other overseas-based players are happy just to represent their beloved Samoa and their families, as the Samoan administration has a limited budget allocation for hockey as a national sport. “[I] play for the love of the game and proud of representing our country and our family.”
Asked what motivates him to stay disciplined and remain focused towards training and skills building, Mathew said:
“My motivation comes from wanting to make my family and team proud and also to prove to myself that I can always keep on improving my skills. Another motivation is my mum; she's the most important motivation and reason why I still continue and play this sport.”
And that’s not the only thing that keeps Mathew on the right path. Born in Apia, his father’s villages include Lauli’i and Samatau, while his mother’s from Apia, Lefaga, Faleasi’u and Ailepata. With a family network that big, that’s enough to keep anyone in line.
Mathew is also a devout Christian, attending the Congregational Church of Samoa-Apia parish when back in the islands, or the Knox Church in Dunedin close to where he lives. His conviction in Christ is fairly clear when talking about the importance of Christianity in his life.
“Christianity plays an important role in my life and the lives of many Samoans. We are a very religious people, and I personally lean on my belief in God for strength and guidance as I navigate through life.”
Mathew is an inspiring Pacific teenager with the right people around him to help navigate him successfully through life. We’ll end with this quote from Mathew expressing what he thinks has helped him the most that may help others:
“God, Family and keeping yourself grounded. I truly believe that those three things are what make me the person I am today. My belief in God and His love for me and the support of my family as well as keeping myself grounded/humble is very important to me.“