He boarded the plane to Sydney with the Orange last winter. Olivier Hortensius (22) had been selected by national coach Jeroen Delmée for the Pro League matches in Australia. But his debut did not come. The Rotterdam striker injured his hamstring on the other side of the world. Last weekend he finally made his first minutes again. ‘I really struggled with it,’ he said.
‘All the tests were good. Every specialist told me I was fit to play again. But when you stand there, it’s still uncomfortable,’ Hortensius said, a day after his return to the field hockey field. He won 10-0 with Rotterdam against Hurley. ‘I felt tension through my whole body. But when I sprinted all over the field after five minutes, I knew for sure. I’m physically fine. It’s really behind me now.’
Hortensius’ story is wrenching, to say the least. The talented striker had been training with the Orange since September and was allowed to go with them to Sydney in late January. The Dutch team played four games there, against Australia and Spain. He too was supposed to be in action, but just before the first game fate struck: a hamstring injury kept him sidelined. He watched, while his contemporaries Daan Bonhof and Boris Aardenburg did play for their country for the first time.
Olivier Hortensius watched his team earlier in 2025. Photo: Willem Vernes
The snap that changed everything
‘I was dueling with Joep de Mol during one of the training sessions. He is super fast, so I really had to push. I wanted to block the ball, but when I put my foot down, my other leg slipped. Snap, I felt. It shot full in my hamstring. I knew right then. I had never had anything like that before. It really wasn’t good.
Hortensius’ feeling was right. So just before he was to start making his first minutes in the Orange, he injured his hamstring. A setback that would eventually keep him sidelined for two months. He had just overcome a serious injury to his back. He had surgery on his back hernia and was back to top fitness. Ready for the next step in his career. The timing could hardly have been worse.
The lonely period Down Under
‘I really struggled with it. You’re with guys around you who are also going to make their debuts. They were there, but I wasn’t. Everything around me fell away and I had no family with whom I could retreat. The boys took good care of me and were kind to me, but I was on my own again. Training by myself, while the rest played a game. That was very lonely.
‘When I scored, it did bring a little emotion. ‘I’ve had to work hard the past few months. I’ve been looking forward to this for so long. Olivier Hortensius
Hortensius in the orange of the Dutch Junior Team. Photo: Willem Vernes
Back in the Netherlands, Rotterdam was preparing for the second half of the competition and Hortensius was working overtime at the physio. Again he was the only one who had to work for himself. Yet another lonely struggle and dip. ‘I think I’ve given it a place by now, but it was tough. I’m glad the look can now be forward again.’
Sunday afternoon, Hortensius was finally allowed back on the field. His first minutes of 2025 – a moment he had been living towards for months. But the day was made even more memorable by the chaotic run-up to the game with Hurley. Amstelveen was upside down because of a marathon and a closed highway, leaving many teammates stuck in traffic. ‘My girlfriend lives in Amsterdam, so I got to the club on time, but the rest had bad luck. Everyone was sent in all directions. Our group app exploded: I’m later, we’re later too…’
‘Literally everything fell in’
In the end, the match started 15 minutes later. That turned out to be a golden move. Hortensius – who was allowed to play eighteen minutes himself – has to laugh. ‘At halftime it was already 8-0 for us. It was one of those games where everything worked. Literally everything fell in.’ The striker was also successful. He crowned his comeback with the sixth goal. ‘There was a bit of emotion about that. I had to work hard the past few months. I was also old-fashioned nervous Sunday. Everyone was also happy that I scored. I’ve been looking forward to this for so long.’
Next week, the striker will also rejoin Orange’s training sessions. He let the first week of training pass him by. Everything goes step by step. ‘I’m building it up a little bit every week. I really don’t want to take any more risks. Besides, we will soon play an EHL with Rotterdam. I’m really not going to miss that one.’
And then that debut. Is that a matter of time? Hortensius hopes so. ‘Delmée called me the other day. I liked that. Together we talked through the process. I hope I will be able to participate in June. That is the plan,” he says. An advantage,” he concludes with a wink. ‘When the time comes, I will debut in the Netherlands with all my friends and family in the stands.’
Photo: Willem Vernes
by Hockey.nl