After 40 years supporting netball in Taranaki, Russ Ackroyd’s commitment towards the game isn’t slowing down.

The 88-year-old’s dedication started in the early 1980s when he used to follow his daughter who played for the Tukapa club.

After she decided to give up playing, spectating was a substitute for his children not being active in sport anymore and carried on attending games.

“She stopped and I carried on. My wife isn’t into it whatsoever either, but I enjoy going out.”

Back then, Ackroyd recalls going to the various netball courts around New Plymouth.

“I first started to watch games at the Spotswood gym, YMCA and the Waiwhakaiho courts. I didn’t support any team; I just went along.”

As he became a regular at courts around Taranaki, Ackroyd met Beverly Raine, who was the President of Netball Taranaki at the time. She would organise vans to go to matches and tournaments to Rotorua or Palmerston North and if there was a spare seat, he would jump in and support whoever the team was.

When the TSB Stadium opened in 1992, Ackroyd said he ‘really got into it’.

“I’d say I’ve been to every game since it opened. Players say hi and that’s quite nice.”

Under the current format, he would have watched over 2,000 matches racking up 120,000 minutes of netball and plenty of goals.

Known for wearing his leather cheese cutter hat and bringing a cushion, he sits on the bleaches, takes in the atmosphere and the game.

One of the fondest memories was when the late Tania Dalton was playing a match in New Plymouth.

“She had just had a baby and had it with her. The baby was pretty upset and someone handed it to be for some reason before the start of the game. I calmed it down, which I was pretty proud of before someone took it off me to put into a cradle at the end of the first quarter.”

Ackroyd said he never met Dalton himself but was all too happy to help.

Over the years, he has seen many players come through the premier system, but one player stood out to him.

“Amber Bellringer [now Ormond] would be one of the best. She can still pop them in from anywhere.”

Netball Taranaki general manager Jaqua Pori-Makea-Simpson acknowledged Ackroyd’s commitment to the game and appreciates his support.

“It’s incredible for netball to have the longstanding support of Russ; for many decades he has had no direct connection to netball except the pure love and enjoyment of it. We are very fortunate to have Russ as a part of our netball family.”

Article added: Wednesday 02 September 2020