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A senior Snells Beach sportswoman will lead New Zealand when a new over 70s category debuts at the World Masters Hockey World Cup in November.
Maree Todd will co-captain the inaugural NZ Women’s 70s team for the tournament, which is being staged at the North Harbour Hockey grounds in Rosedale from November 7 to 16.
Todd is no stranger to the event, having played masters hockey in various grades since 2002, but she says it’s exciting to be representing New Zealand on home turf and in a new category.
“It’s a buzz to play for New Zealand and the amazing thing is that there are plenty of 70-year-old women still physically fit and doing this – and I’m one of the youngest!” she says.
“There are 28 women over 70 still playing. Having this new category means we’re still involved and keep fit.”
Todd is certainly fit – as well as going to the gym several times a week and regularly walking, she recently returned from a trip to the US where she cycled 600km on an e-bike in eight days. However, that was just a foretaste of what’s to come.
“From now until November I’ve got to knuckle down and train. I’m fit from the cycling, but not hockey-fit,” she says.
“It’s not an easy sport – it’s physical, and you’ve got to be really fit to play five or six games in a week.”
Todd will train four to five times a week and attend at least two weekend camps before the World Cup starts.
She says the team will be giving it their all, regardless of their respective ages.
“We’ll still dive for the ball, but we just take a long time to get up,” she says. “We’ll do our darndest to win, but we’ll just be a bit slower.”
She admits that some concessions need to be made at the more senior levels, such as no longer playing hockey throughout the year.
“I don’t play in winter any more. As you get older, your body needs a break. I love training, but what’s hard is the injuries – managing them, past and present.”
Todd will share World Cup captain’s responsibilities with two other team mates.
“There are three of us on the leadership team, two of us will be on the field and one off,” Todd says.
“We’re all mature women, so there are never really any problems that we need to address and we’ve all known each other a long time. It’s good fun and we share responsibility.”
There are just two other countries fielding a Women’s 70s team in November – Australia and England – but Todd says both will provide stiff competition.
Another local player, Jenny Lambeth from Matakana, will be playing in a second new age grade, for over-65s, which will feature teams from 10 countries.
World Masters Hockey includes age grades from 35-plus up to 80s for men and 35 to 70s for women, and this year’s World Cup will be split across two venues – Cape Town in October and Auckland in November. The tournament is held every two years, with a Trans-Tasman competition in alternate years.
