Stratford hockey seeing gold

The Stratford hockey club are seeing gold.

Four Stratford players recently represented Wellington at the New Zealand Masters Games and won the gold medal for the 40-45 age group, for the first time in 12 years.

Alan Bunning, Glen Taylor, Grant Boyde and Adrian Lobb returned home with massive smiles across their faces and are still buzzing from beating Nelson in the final - the `dream team'.

The men play in the Wellington team as there is not a Taranaki team for their age group.

The tournament began with pool matches, playing Manawatu (won 5-0), Auckland (won 4-0) and Nelson. The men lost to Nelson 5-1, but made it to the semi-finals to play Waikato, winning 5-0.

Their hearts were pounding, but Grant says the crowd were screaming yellow and black.

``We had 99.9 per cent of the crowd support and the other 0.1 per cent were their wives.''

After their loss in the pool play, it was Wellington who surged through the final to win 3-0.

``At the end of the day we wanted it more.''

Their win was made sweeter when the New Zealand team was named to play at the International Masters Hockey Tournament in London this year.

Out of the six players selected from the Wellington team, three of Stratford's players will wear the silver fern - Grant Boyde, Alan Bunning and Adrian Lobb.

``We all get to wear the silver fern. For a little club like Stratford to have three in the team, it's pretty unique,'' says

Alan.

Alan had represented Taranaki at hockey but said nothing compared to the masters games.

``They had said how tough the competition was, but it wasn't until I got there that I realised. The masters games are tougher than the rep games.''

The group of men have been playing hockey with each other for around 30 years and have become like brothers on and off the field.

``It's very competitive, but very social. It's a real family club and it always has been,'' says Grant.