Most people, once they reach their 90s, would want to take a step back from active involvement in sport.

However, despite turning 92 last week, Benalla resident Rupert Cheetham has no intention of slowing down.

Having played hockey for most of his life, it was only a car accident that led to him not signing up to an over-80 masters hockey league in the past few years.

And the sport of lifeball, for which he travels weekly to Wangaratta, has been among Rupert's pastimes for 25 years.

Lifeball is an Australian invention, which was developed by Colleen Wilson-Lord in NSW in 1998.

It's a modified, low-impact team sport combining elements of netball and basketball, which is designed to be played by anyone.

Only four years after its invention, it arrived in Benalla and was initially run by U3A, which is how Rupert first got involved.

Though the Benalla club folded in 2025, Rupert still drives to Wangaratta once a week to follow his passion.

"I was a coach (in Benalla) for 14 years before I went up to play and umpire in Wangaratta," Rupert said.

"I still go up with my friend Pat Menzies every Tuesday."

On his birthday last Tuesday, Rupert celebrated in the best way he could imagine - by driving to Wangaratta to play lifeball, and then enjoying the social gathering at Baker Street's Aroma Deli Café that usually follows the weekly game; the only difference was that a birthday cake was part of afternoon tea.

Rupert said one of the interesting rules of lifeball was that players took on every position during a game.

"There are three zones: back, centre and forward," he said.

"If you start on the back line, you move into the centre in the next game, and into the forward line in the one after that, so nobody becomes an expert in just one position, everybody does everything."

Rupert's love of the sport led to him travelling to Wagga Wagga to undertake an umpiring course.

"After that, Colleen Wilson-Lord asked me to become a 'roving ambassador'," he said.

"I tripped all around Australia in that role, playing (or umpiring) at over 40 different places."

Rupert joked that he may well be the most experienced and well-travelled lifeball player in Australia.

His involvement continues a love of sport which began many years before he moved to the North East.

"At 12 years of age, I started playing hockey in Ivanhoe," Rupert said.

"I played there up to under-16 level, then I left Melbourne to play in Albury."

By this stage, he was living in Benalla, where he began coaching the women's hockey team.

"The women asked if I could get a men's team together to give them a team to practice against in pre-season," he said.

Rupert tapped into his contacts to make that happen.

"Two weeks later, someone from Shepparton rang me and asked if I could organise a Benalla men's team (to join the local league), so we started a men's team - I think that was 1978."

Once he got to a point where he was unable to keep up with the younger players, Rupert discovered there was a masters over-40 Victorian country team.

"I put my name down, went to a practice and scored a goal, so I got selected," he said.

"I then went from over-40s to over-50s, over-60s and over-70s."

There was a time when Rupert was a two-sport man; having discovered lifeball in 2002, he continued to play masters hockey until 2014.

"Last year I heard there was an over-80s team, so I went to my doctor and asked if I could play," he said.

The doctor initially told Rupert to go ahead, until he disclosed a leg injury.

"I’m part of the astronomy club, and one day we'd been out until 3am," he said.

"I had a fun and friendship game at Myrtleford the next day.

"The next morning, I was driving up there, and hit a gum tree at 100kph and smashed my leg up.

"I was out of action for a couple of years ... and it took four operations to get my leg right."

It was this injury Rupert told the doctor about.

"By the time I got the information from my doctor, they'd selected the team, so I missed out on that one," he said.

However, Rupert's legacy of playing hockey in Benalla has been immortalised, with the hockey pitch at Churchill Reserve bearing his name.

“I’m happy the club is going strong," he said.

While Rupert still loves his hockey, he encouraged anyone with an interest to get involved with lifeball.

"It's designed to be played by anyone, so no running, it's all at walking pace," he said.

"There's no throwing above your shoulder, and it's completely non-contact.

"It's called lifeball because you're able to play it for life."

Brenda Anderson from the Wangaratta Lifeball group described Rupert as "inspiring and encouraging".

"It warms your heart to think this man wants to drive up and play the game each week - and he's a tough opponent when you come up against him," he said.

"Colleen Wilson-Lord sent a message this week to say she can't believe Rupert is still playing, and she said, 'Go Team Wangaratta'."

(With thanks to Benalla Ensign).