One of Northland’s sporting greats passed away a couple of weeks ago, so I thought it appropriate that I recall some of the words that were spoken in 2006 when Ross McPherson was inducted as a Northland Legend of Sport at the Northland Sports Awards:

Ross James McPherson is one of Northland's most under-rated sporting greats. Nicknamed ‘Tufty’ due to his hair-do (or at least lack of it!), McPherson excelled in two of NZ’s most popular sports.

As a field hockey goalkeeper who played at two summer Olympics – Mexico in 1968 and Munich in 1972 – McPherson played more than 100 games for NZ, twice won the coveted Challenge Shield for Northland and is still regarded as one of the best goal keepers the game has ever produced.  

But his sporting achievements were not restricted to the winter season, because McPherson was also a top draw cricketer.  He was a talented left-handed opening batsman who was good enough to represent Northland and Northern Districts.

McPherson is remembered as an opening batsman who possessed a near flawless technique which was good enough to earn another nickname: `The Wall'.

Apparently McPherson's defensive technique was so sound that you might as well have been bowling at a wall such were your chances of securing his wicket.

But it is as a hockey player that McPherson truly made his sporting mark.

McPherson played hockey, in goal no less, before the advent of such needless accessories as face masks, chest protectors, knee pads, padded gloves, special goal-keeping boots and reinforced boxes to protect the crown jewels.

Instead he had light pads, custom made kickers and wore a golf glove.

This was probably why McPherson, in his prime, was exceptionally quick on his feet.  Sometimes skill comes through necessity. McPherson could control the ball like a top soccer player and was able to kick it accurately to team mates in the field.

Of particular note, however, is the fact that he is the only goal-keeper to have never conceded a penalty stroke in international hockey.

Facing strokes, McPherson effected some absolutely brilliant saves, with his trademark being his speed off the mark and his uncanny ability to focus solely on the ball and use lightning quick reflexes to parry away shots on goal.

It was his ability to defend his goal that helped Northland win two Challenge Shields, in 1964 and again in 1967.

In 1964, in Christchurch, McPherson managed to keep Canterbury scoreless, a feat all the more creditable as, that day Canterbury had two penalty strokes, 15 penalty corners and 10 long corners.

In 1967, playing in a Challenge Shield final against Canterbury at Kensington Park in Whangarei, Tufty was heralded as a hero once more in a game that was drawn and the title shared after several periods of extra time.

After starting his international hockey career on tour with the New Zealand hockey team in 1965, McPherson became a permanent fixture in the side until he opted out in 1976, just before the team was chosen to go to the Montreal Olympics.

It is somewhat cruel irony that Tufty would have won a deserved gold medal at Montreal had he chosen to tour.

Rest in peace Ross, a true Northland sporting Legend.