Hundred years of YMP hockey

Cutting the YMP Hockey Club centenary cake are representatives of the four 2023 YMP senior hockey teams (from left) Andrew Carter, Maia Rickard, Kristi Tupara and James Torrie. Picture supplied

One hundred years is a lot of memories, a lot of stories and a lot of fun.

YMP Hockey Club marked that century milestone with an official dinner in Gisborne on Saturday night, which became a walk down memory lane for many of the 140 in attendance.

“We had an amazing night. It was all we could have hoped for and more,” said club stalwart and event co-organiser Lynne Holmberg, one of several who received honorary life membership at the function held at The Vines Restaurant & Cafe.

“The Vines buzzed with all the catching-up chatter,” she said. “Some people hadn’t seen each other since their playing days.

“There was a good representation of playing eras from as far back as the late 1940s to the present day. Many old memories were shared.”

With Dallas Kerr as MC, the night featured a history of the club by Holmberg (Lynne Holmberg and Tupara during her playing days); a presentation of blazers recognising years of service to the club; and the awarding of honorary life memberships, along with the acknowledgement of those long-serving club members who had passed on.

The life memberships were presented by brothers Tony and Karl Scragg, whose father Brian was patron of the club.

All but a couple of those on the list were at the function. The  life members are Bill Tamatea, Peter Tupara, Pare Tureia, Phyllis Rickard, Lillian Horsfall, Lynne Tupara (Holmberg), David Mackey, Johnny Maynard, Patrick Dewes and Dee Tureia.

The night was capped with the club having only two days earlier been announced as the national winner of the New Zealand Amateur Sport Association’s 2023 Te Tohu Tiketike o Matariki Award for a community sport organisation that “has embraced te  reo Maori as part of its kaupapa”.

The centenary celebrations will continue at the end-of-season YMP prizegiving for hockey, netball and rugby.

YMP are looking to repeat last year’s golden season when the club won the Poverty Bay Premier club rugby, Gisborne Premier Grade netball and Poverty Bay Premier men’s and women’s club hockey crowns.

YMP’s win in the Lee Bros Shield Premier club rugby final has completed stage one of that.