In it for life: still strong on the ball at 70+

Hockey NZ is sending its first ever Masters 70-plus men’s side to a trans-Tasman series next month – and local player Merv Huxford is on the team.

Merv, who is chair of Hibiscus Hockey based on the turf in Millwater, says in NZ, the age range for Masters Hockey used to be 35-65 years. He says by comparison, Australia and Europe have had 75-plus teams for around 10 years.

“I played in a World Masters tournament 30 years ago and saw the Australian and Netherland men’s 70 plus teams in the final,” Merv says. “I was amazed by how they played and hoped to be able to do that one day myself.”

At 73, he is one of the oldest in the NZ Masters 70-plus squad. Being selected last month has been a huge motivation for staying fit, but he is also careful not to over-train.

“As you get older, it takes longer to recover from injuries, and I’m very aware of that. You also train more specifically – you stick with what you’re good at and train smarter. I am doing cross training like swimming, cycling and shuttle runs as well as playing hockey at least once a week, and also coaching,” he says.

The 70s-plus side will compete in the trans-Tasman event early next month in Christchurch.

And Merv already has his eye on the World Masters next year in Cape Town.

He says hockey is a great sport to play throughout your life, as it’s non-contact and you can play in mixed teams with rules that are exactly the same.

“I’ve talked with young players who are just starting out and seeing someone my age still playing is amazing to them. I hope it inspires them to stay in the game.”