The District of West Vancouver has honoured one of the greatest players ever to come out of the Delta Falcons Field Hockey Club.
Hundreds of field hockey fans gathered earlier this month to celebrate the official opening of Rutledge Field at Ambleside Park. The field is named in honour of Ross Rutledge, a former member of the men's national field hockey team and Delta Sports Hall of Fame inductee.
The Tsawwassen native was dedicated to the field hockey community as an athlete, coach and inspiration. He passed away in April 2004 at the age of 41 following a bout with cancer.
Rutledge's two sons, Nick and Connor, led the Australian and Canadian national teams onto the field for their match, which opened the Canagroo series between the two sides. They were presented with national team jerseys by the team captains.
"Ross was always about winning, expecting to win and inspiring his mates to be confident that anything could be done," said former national coach and teammate Alan Brahmst.
"He did this in a unique way, his way, and it worked on a lot of the younger guys - the next generation. Part of Ross' influence on younger players, like myself, was such that you expected to win, no matter who the opposition."
In addition to a new artificial turf field, the project featured a complete renovation to the fieldhouse, including a new roof.
