Congratulation’s Grant Chester awarded Life Membership of Hockey NZ

Congratulations to Grant Chester, awarded Life Membership of Hockey New Zealand last night at the Annual Awards/AGM.

Grant Chester has been a servant of Hockey in New Zealand for over 50 years and a deserving recipient of Life Membership.

His father was one of the founding fathers of the Roskill Eden Hockey Club and Grant started in the junior grades and playing hockey for the club and while at secondary school also Lynfield College.

Upon leaving school Grant played Premier Club Hockey for his beloved Roskill Eden club and by the mid 70s was selected in the Auckland Men’s Representative team in a very strong era preceding NZ’s Olympic gold win in Montreal.

Once retired from Premier Hockey Grant has continued for over 40 years to support Hockey at club, school, representative and national level through various roles including Coaching, Managing and administrating. In addition, he was also selected in NZ Masters teams and has played in trans- Tasman matches.

His support of local turf projects has seen turfs come to fruition at both Mt Roskill Grammar School and Henderson High School in Auckland.

His selfless service to the game in Auckland has seen him be made a Life Member of both the Roskill Eden Hockey Club and the Auckland Hockey Association.

Grant is a successful trans Tasman Businessman in his own right and through his business he has kindly and generously donated financially to Hockey NZ, Auckland and North Harbour Hockey.

AKK CEO Manoj Daji says “Grant’s support of National team players and squad members in the last 20 years by providing employment in his business to support their NZ aspirations would easily reach into hundreds of thousands of dollars. All of these players are in awe of Grant and the way he has supported them both on and off the turf”.

In 2019 Grant, along with brother Colin started a new initiative called Grow the Game of Hockey in NZ, with Hockey NZ and Kookaburra Sport. Acquiring a lot of Kookaburra’s surplus gear, including 1000 sticks, shin pads and mouth guards, offering them to every hockey association in the country.

Manoj Daji continues in saying “Grant is a man who likes to fly under the radar. His humility is best summed up by a recent phone call to a hockey stakeholder who he had heard had nominated him for a Royal Honour. Grant wanted the nomination to be withdrawn, quite happy to be not recognised, and let his actions speak for themselves”.

Congratulations and thank you Grant for your immense contribution to Auckland Hockey and Hockey in New Zealand.