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Local star hockey player Jordon Thomas had a surprise in store at the end of Warkworth Hockey Club’s recent have-a-go day on Sunday, March 5.
The talented young multi-team player and coach became the latest recipient of the Ted Dunning Memorial Trophy, a historic award presented since the 1930s to high achieving sportsmen from the Rodney district who are aged under 25.
Thomas certainly fits the achievement bill, with call-ups for a number of top hockey sides including North Shore United (NSU) Premier Men’s, NZ Under 18s, NZ Under 21 training squad, Tamaki Makarau Māori Men’s, NZ Under 21 Māori Men’s and NZ Māori Men’s teams. He was also given the NSU young player of the year award last year and he has been coaching the Prem 3 Warkworth Men’s team since 2019.
The Ted Dunning Memorial Trophy commemorates a talented cricketer and hockey player from Matakana who played for local, rep and Auckland sides and seemed destined for national stardom. Tragically, however, 22-year-old Dunning drowned in early 1937 when the dinghy he was in sank after a farewell beach picnic for NZ cricketer Jack Cowie, who was off on his first test tour to England. The memorial trophy was commissioned later that year by a committee representing all the sports bodies in Rodney for “the best all-round athlete in Rodney, character to be taken into consideration”.
