Russell (19), just a year out of high school, was yesterday named the only new player in the Olympic preliminary squad to start training for the London Olympics.
He joins Southern players Hugo Inglis, Blair Tarrant and Hamish McGregor in the 15-strong squad to begin preparation.
It has been a swift promotion for Russell, who left Otago Boys' High School only last year.
He was selected in the national junior side in May and received the good news of his rise to the senior national squad last week.
But he could not tell all and sundry about the selection until it was publicly released yesterday.
"I told a few friends, and Mum and Dad and a few people had a slight idea of what was happening. But I'm rapt to have the chance," he said.
Russell had started playing hockey aged 7, following in his parents' footsteps.
He started off as an attacker and in the midfield but decided to move into the back field.
"It was my own decision and a couple of coaches I talked to. I thought it would suit my game more. Just with the outletting of the ball and distributing the ball from the back. I'm enjoying it now but it took a while to get used to."
Russell was in Auckland yesterday as the squad starts a week-long training camp.
The squad will take on Australia and Fiji in an Olympic qualifying tournament in October and the full Olympic squad will be named in June next year. It should easily beat Fiji.
With the selection yesterday, Russell will have to move to Auckland next year as the squad trains permanently in the City of Sails.
That means he will have to relinquish a chance at a plumbing apprenticeship with Foley Plumbers Ltd, where he had been working.
Russell said the company had understood his reasons behind moving to Auckland.
Southern men coach Dave Ross said Russell fully deserved his promotion. He had plenty of natural ability and just needed to work hard on his fitness to have every chance of getting in the Olympic squad, Ross said.
