A Hockey Champion At 67 – But Where Is The Media?

Age is no barrier to playing hockey at a national level for Suzanne Jackson from the University of Auckland – but why is there so little media coverage of masters sport?

At the age of 67, North Harbour hockey striker Suzanne Jackson is still playing to win – as her latest gold medal proves.

Jackson plays for the North Harbour Golden Girls, a team of women aged between 65 and 70.

The team just won their second gold in a row at the annual Vantage National Masters hockey tournament in Whangārei – but most people know nothing about the competition between 200 teams from around New Zealand.

That’s because media silence on the subject of sport for older people stretches emptily on and on.

Jackson works as a research coordinator at the University of Auckland’s Centre for Co-created Ageing Research, so she is well-informed about the gap where media coverage of master’s sports might be.

“There’s a big grandstand at Northland and it was full, but it would have been good to have more media coverage.

“Everyone is going to get old and it lets people know they don’t have to give up the sports they love.

"Keep playing – it helps keep you vibrant and it gives you a purpose in life,” says Jackson.

More media coverage of the tournament for people aged over 35 might attract more sponsorships, which would help some players stay in the game, she says.

Jackson was selected for the New Zealand masters team last year, but bowed out partly because of high costs.

At the tournament from 21 February to 1 March, the Golden Girls played six games in seven days.

The team practises hard, sometimes as often as three times a week.

“I don’t play for fun – it’s fun when you win,” she says.

But it’s not all hard slog. The team gains a competitive edge, because they are strongly connected as a social group, Jackson says.

The women stayed in rooms for four in Tutukaka during the tournament, ate meals as a team and had a ball together.

“Most of the girls I play with, we’ve known each other through playing hockey for more than 20 years. There’s a lot of camaraderie.

“Our slogan is ‘mahi tahi’, which means ‘work together as one’.”

Jackson was at intermediate school when she started playing hockey. She was selected to represent Auckland at the age of about 12.

Although she stopped playing for a few years after leaving school, she has had a hockey stick in her hands on a regular basis since her twenties.

Since 2000, she has won 14 hockey medals.

“We’re absolutely ecstatic about our latest win.

“It was a really tough fight – we went to penalty shoot outs in the semi and the final and won both of them,” she says.

On the field, Jackson is known as a fast runner and she hasn’t been held back by injuries in the past decade.

While the sport keeps her fit and healthy, it also provides a strong network of like-minded people.

“I lost my husband three years ago, so if I didn’t play hockey, I don’t know what I would do.”

She acknowledges watching speedy younger players is probably more exciting, but says the older players develop sophisticated technique over the years.

“I love it. I will keep playing for as long as I can run – it’s probably what keeps me alive.

“Many people retire at 65 and die two years later.

“It’s important not to stop doing what you love. If you love gardening or whatever, keep it up,” Jackson says.

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