Hills Star Matt Gonzales Set for Olympic Debut
Castle Hill star Matt Gonzales will be making his Olympic debut with the Australian rugby sevens side in Paris. The outstanding rugby back is a proud product of Eastwood Rugby Club, which has a strong foothold in The Hills District.
Another Hills resident Michael Icely has been chosen as one of the travelling reserves for the Olympics. Flying Australian winger Mark Nawaqanitawase is the third Eastwood player to make it to the Olympics, showcasing the extraordinary talent and development in the well-established rugby club.
Eastwood Rugby general manager Robert Frost said Matt has a great burst of speed and has been one of the standout players for Eastwood since starting in the Colts back in 2013. Now 30, Matt is regarded as one of the top Australian sevens players. He is among the many Oakhill College alumni to distinguish themselves on the rugby union or league pitch.
Matt became a surprise sevens specialist in his late 20s when highly-respected national coach John Manenti asked him if he would like to trial for Australia.
Always up for a challenge, Matt – one of the quickest backs in Sydney’s Shute Shield competition – grabbed the chance with both hands. “I said yes straight away, I did not hesitate,” Matt said in an official interview. “I would have been mad not to take it. I didn’t think an opportunity would ever arise for me again. I’m a bit older, I didn’t think it was going to happen.”
A fitness trainer by profession, Matt gets his rugby genes from his Dad Serge, a tremendous player in his day and now Eastwood’s official photographer.
Despite an injury-hit career, Matt starred for the Australia sevens team, which finished fourth at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Matt helped Australia win their first World Rugby Sevens Series Crown in 2021/22 and was in the team which finished fourth at the 2022 Sevens World Cup in South Africa.
Matt was a part of the 2015 Shute Shield Grand Final-winning squad at Eastwood, and runners-up in the 2020 grand final. “He has great acceleration, is tough and durable and a great team player,” Frost said.
“Michael Icely also came through our Colts program. He started in 2016 and has been one of the outstanding players in Sydney rugby for many years. Last season, he won the Ken Catchpole Medal for the Player of the Year in Sydney.
“Mark Nawaqanitawase came to the club five years ago as a raw young player and he has The Hills blossomed into an outstanding international player, making his Wallaby debut in 2022. He has now signed to play for the Roosters in the NRL for the next two seasons.”
Eastwood, one of the most successful rugby clubs in Australia, has produced a staggering 45 players who have donned the Wallaby jersey while 10 players went on to play international rugby for other countries. In addition, 10 of their players represented Australia in sevens competitions.
CHARLIE CALE Debuts for Australia
The Hills District’s giant backrower Charlie Cale, 23, made an impressive debut for Australia in their stirring 25-16 win over Wales last Saturday. One of three brothers who play for Eastwood Rugby Club, Charlie plays for the Brumbies in Super Rugby Pacific and is highly regarded as a back rower.
Cale, who tips the scales at 105kg and is 195cm tall, was picked by Wallaby coach Joe Schmidt, after eye-catching performances this season. He came off the bench to help the Wallabies hold off a Welsh fightback in the second half.
