News Quietly brilliant: John "Dutchie" Rademakers, Sporting Legend of Canterbury 19/05/26 Recognising one of Canterbury’s quiet greats. There was a moment you could feel every person in the room suddenly realise what kind of human he was. The line that did it had just played on a video tribute – a mate of his, on screen, calling him “the definition of Mana”. Around the tables, you watched (and heard) people take it in. The man it was said about, John “Dutchie” Rademakers, was just sitting at his table moments ago, thinking he was there as a plus-one for his wife. He had no idea his family, friends, and every mate at the table had been in on the stitch-up for weeks. He didn’t know the ever-deft Lesley Murdoch was about to interview him on stage as Canterbury’s newest Sporting Legend – the 2026 award we sponsored. A career told back to him On stage, Lesley took him through the record. A Tall Black. Canterbury Rams MVP in 1984. Most Outstanding Kiwi Guard in 1986 – the year he top-scored the Rams’ first NBL championship final with 22 points. Still a Canterbury Golf selector. There’s even a snooker record somewhere with his name on it, and by the time that one got added to the list, he looked a bit sheepish at all the fuss. The man has quietly been astonishingly good at most things he’s put his hand to. But the part of the night that stayed with us came afterwards, from the video tribute. Friends and family spoke about him – as a father, as a mate, as a quiet mentor to people younger than him. One of his daughters, Makareta, talked about what he had instilled in his kids growing up: that becoming the best version of yourself meant showing up and doing the work. Over and over. Repetition as the practice of becoming. What we didn't expect We sponsored the Sporting Legend category knowing that whoever the winner was, their list of sporting achievements would be tremendous. That’s the bar for the award. What we didn’t expect was that the person on stage would be someone whose character would leave us thinking. Quiet brilliance. Modesty under a list of achievements most people would put in their email signature. The discipline of practice he passed on to his kids. None of it was about trophies or accolades, just about owing it to yourself, your family and your friends to be the best version of yourself possible. “I had no idea who would walk out as the Sporting Legend on the night. Watching it land for a man who has clearly spent decades doing the work properly and quietly looking after the people around him is the kind of moment that pulls you back to what we’re actually here to do.” – Mark Lewis, Head of People and Culture at Connetics Our Head of People and Culture, Mark Lewis, presented the award on the night. Mark was also one of the nominees in the Gallagher Insurance Volunteer of the Year category, for the years he has given to the BMX community. BMX runs on the volunteers who show up every weekend to coach, marshal, and keep the track running. Mark has been one of those people for a long time, and we’re proud the work is being recognised. Congratulations to him – very well deserved. Watching Dutchie collect the award left us with a few things to think about. The discipline of practice his daughter described (doing the reps until they are right) is the standard we ask of ourselves on every job. Being a quiet mentor to people younger than you, the way Dutchie was for so many in the room, is the kind of presence we hope shows up wherever our crews work. We sponsored the award expecting to celebrate someone’s record. We left thinking more about the kind of people we want to be in our work. Ka pai, Dutchie, thanks for the inspiration – and thank you to Sport Canterbury for hosting a wonderful celebration of the people in our communities who use sport to bring out the best in those around them.
Home Page