Good athletes, good vibes, and out to give themselves, and others around them, a good laugh.
Decked out in swanky shirts splattered in pink flamingos — and matching bucket hats to complete the look — the Dunedin brothers-in-law picked up the paddle and gave pickleball a go for the first time this week.
Mockford could be considered a natural with a vast background in tennis, even scooping a couple of medals in the racket sport in his first Masters Games appearance.
The pair decided if they were already entering one sport, they might as well sign up for another.
"We though we’d just give it a go," Mockford said.
"It’s good fun; it’s a lot of fun.
"Well, we gave everybody else a laugh."
Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world and spiked huge growth at the Masters Games this year.
Fitzgerald has tried his hand at several sports at the Masters Games through the years, from indoor cricket to futsal, but football has always been the one to draw him in.
"It’s the kind of thing that I enjoy," Fitzgerald said.
"Hanging around with even all the other teams, the teams that come from out of town as well."
The Masters Games brought people from across New Zealand — and the world — together in a competitive but social atmosphere.
"You play as a junior and it’s always really competitive, competitive, competitive.
"But when you get to this age... you enjoy it."
