Husband and wife involved in hockey since the 1970s, but never at the same club – until now

The husband and wife hockey pairing of Paul and Lyn Tucker have been involved in the sport since the 1970s, but never with the same club – until now. Read about their partnership that has been almost 50 years in the making.

Husband and wife Paul and Lyn Tucker started playing hockey in the same decade, albeit 620km apart, in the 1970s, but it will take until this year before they are united under the same club banner.

In 2020 Paul will enter his third season as Norths Division 1 coach while Lyn will coach the Norths Division 1 women’s outfit.

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But in the previous five decades, never have they walked into the same club wearing the same club shirt as each other.

Yes they played hockey at the same time in Rockhampton, where they met, Maryborough and Brisbane, but never, ever at the same club.

Norths hockey husband and wife team Paul and Lyn Tucker

Indeed they even played on opposing teams during indoor competition? Who won those clashes?

NORTHS STALWART EARNS OLYMPIC HOCKEY SELECTION - AS AN UMPIRE

“I think you know the answer,’’ Paul joked. Yes, it was Lyn, a former Australian indoor hockey captain, who would come out victor when the pair came up against each other.

“We never designed it that way,’’ Paul said in relation to them being at different clubs.

“It kind of just fell that way. We were just doing our bit and giving back to our sport.’’

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But now it is a real family affair at Norths’ home ground of Dorrington Park, Ashgrove, with Paul and Lyn and their two sons all at Norths.

“It is a nice club to be a part of,’’ Paul said. “It is a family club and a great family club.

“It has lots of family values and community participation and it is a great club to be involved with.

“Although we won’t get to play in the same place all of the time, we are connected together which is fantastic,’’ added Paul, a premiership winner as a player with Norths.

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The pair love their hockey so much that when the winter season finishes, they are involved in the summer (indoor) season.

“We do it all winter, so we may as well do it all summer,’’ Paul laughed, who said he loves to “give back to the sport’’.

Lyn, naturally enough, had a break to raise a family, but when the time and opportunity came she was always going to renew ties with hockey.

HANNAH THE TITLE WINNING HERO

“We slowly got into the coaching side of things, but I was always involved anyway selecting (as a selector),’’ said Lynn, a Berserker Street State School past student and former player at Rovers Rockhampton.

“It has been a good road and it is good to be able to give back to something we are very passionate about,’’ added Lyn, whose international indoor career continued the Beef City of Rockhampton’s proud tradition in producing high class hockey players.