Hockey in the wider local region continues to attract national eyes after Hockey Wanganui and two Marton stalwarts were acknowledged at the annual Hockey NZ awards dinner this month.
Held in Auckland on May 5, the awards evening recognised Kevin Randles and Karen Leighton with the Bronze Award for servicesto hockey.
Both have been long time servants of the game within the Rangitikei Hockey Association.
Randles, on the association's committee since 1998 and its president in 2014-15, has been an umpire and co-ordinator for umpires for 18 years - fostering many juniors into the role.
He has also coached the Rangitikei Under 13 representative squad over four years, as was made a life member of RHA in 2016.
Leighton has been on the RHA committee since 2000, also holding the president role for two years and spending five as treasurer.
She managed the Rangitkei Under 13's for three years, and served eight years as the hockey representative on the Centennial Pavilion Committee.
Leighton received her RHA life membership in 2015, the same year she joined the Rangitikei Turf Feasibility Committee after previously having worked tirelessly to refurbish the Tiger Turf, which was then damaged by the floods.
