14 Apr 25 - Resident stories
Playing the field – Cambridge’s hockey champ
For Summerset Cambridge resident Judy Board hockey isn’t just a game, it’s a way of life – one she has been living since she was tiny.
“My dad introduced me to hockey,” says 74-year-old Judy. “He played hockey and cricket with Sir Peter Snell. I was too short for netball, and hockey came naturally to me.” So naturally, in fact, that at a mere nine years old, Judy was asked to fill in on a women’s team. “The youngest player on that team was 18, so it was quite the age gap between me and the rest of the team.”
When she was 21, Judy began to coach and mentor other players. She has represented Waikato, Auckland and Tauranga, and was selected regularly to play for New Zealand on the international stage. Judy has lost count of the medals she has won, which she has achieved for games all over the world, giving her an opportunity to travel. “I have taken home gold from competitions in Melbourne, Spain, Penang, Italy, Scotland and Sydney,” she says, adding that she likes to explore the host country at the end of a competition. “I have had cycling and barge holidays in Germany and Holland, walking holidays in Italy and South Africa – I have had a lot of opportunities to travel.” Some conditions are easier to play in than others. “Malaysia was very, very humid,” Judy says, “and the games kept being interrupted because of the torrential downpours and lightning strikes!”
In hockey there are 18 members on a squad, with 11 players – including the goalkeeper – on the field at any one time. Such is Judy’s skill that she is what’s known as a utility player – able to play in any position on the team. This flexibility came in handy recently for the Masters Hockey World Cup in November, when more than 130 teams from 36 countries descended on Auckland for the two-week event. Four age groups are represented, from 45 years old and beyond. Judy played in the 70+ category, the first time this category has been established.
“Six teams were registered from New Zealand, Australia and the UK,” says Judy, who was the oldest member of the team. “I played in six matches.” New Zealand took home bronze, and now Judy is in the throes of training for the National Masters in March in Whangārei. “I have to train in Tauranga,” says Judy. “There is no one my age who trains on my side of the Kaimai Ranges!”
Hockey has evolved since Judy began playing. “It used to be played on grass, but now it is much more often played on turf. That’s easier for older players as the ball rolls true.” Although older players typically get less game time, what they may lack in stamina they make up for in experience. “We are definitely wilier players!” Judy laughs.
As with any sport, players will often try and get an edge on one another, and Judy has noticed an increase in equipment examinations. “It used to be that the officials would just check our hockey sticks. Now we must lay out all our equipment for inspections – sticks, balls, gloves and even my sports glasses!”
As well as the game itself, Judy loves the camaraderie of hockey. “Over the years we have all got to know one another very well. A lot of deep friendships have developed. After tournaments we all go and have a luncheon together.”
Hockey can be hard on the knees, but Judy, a former dairy farmer who was used to covering a lot of ground, supplements her hockey training sessions by walking – a lot. “I do between 4km and 15km a day,” she says. “There are some excellent walking tracks around the village here. Walking is how I stay fit. I have never set foot inside a gym in my life!”
When she isn’t playing or training for hockey, Judy is involved in Rural Women New Zealand, for which she was awarded life membership of Waipā King Country Provincial in August 2024. “It’s the centenary celebrations next year, which I am the chair of,” says Judy. And if that’s not keeping her busy enough, she also has a hobby designing and sewing wedding dresses and evening wear. “I have always sewed, and now it’s evolved. I work out of my spare bedroom at home. It’s packed with fabric!”
Judy signed up to Summerset Cambridge as soon as she turned 71 in December 2022, and moved in in December 2023, having chosen her home before the villa was even completed. “I had visited Summerset Rototuna, so I knew what the village would look like when finished. The staff are amazing, and the sense of community and feeling of safety just can’t be beaten. I was 43km away from the nearest neighbours on the farm, and now I am not isolated. I go to weekly Happy Hour and have got to know a lot of the other residents. We all seem to be a sporty bunch and have been on a lot of outings together. Every fortnight we go out for dinner together, usually somewhere in Cambridge. It was such an easy decision to come here.”
This is an article from the Autumn 2025 edition of Summerset Scene magazine