Irene Ryan elected Auckland Hockey’s 33rd Life Member

Irene is also a Life Member of the Somerville Hockey Club, elected in 2014. Irene played in the inaugural lady’s team in 1981, captaining the side in their first playing season in the Senior Reserve grade. Over the decades she has undertaken a variety of roles as coach, manager, as a member of the Executive, Ladies club captain and President of the club. She has always been an inspiration for the level of fitness she maintains. Irene epitomises longevity as a player and is in 2024, the ‘oldest’ (in chronological age) playing member of the Somerville Club.

She also plays in Auckland masters teams and has done so since 1998, being promoted up the age groups. Irene has been selected for NZ masters teams since 2000, playing at three master’s World Cups and in the biannual Trans-Tasman tournaments. In many of these international tournaments she has been in the inaugral team for that women’s age grouping, providing a pathway for others to follow. Reflective of this trend and that hockey is indeed a “game for life” she has just been selected in the first NZ women’s 70’s team to play in the 2024 Masters World Cup, being held in Auckland.

In other hockey-related roles she has been both the Chair and a member of the Auckland Hockey Executive, a member then Chair of the NZ Masters Council and more recently, a member then Chair of the Development Committee of World Masters Hockey.