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2023 Aon Maadi Regatta NoticesNewsletter - Sitemap -  

NZSSRA website

Welcome to the New Zealand Secondary Schools Rowing Association website. This site is here to provide schools and school rowers with an easily accessed resource of information about schools rowing in New Zealand.

Special General Meeting called Requisitioned by Member Schools

A Special General Meeting (SGM) of NZSSRA will be held via Zoom at 2pm on Friday 8 November 2024.

The business of the SGM is "Any student who is a Year 14 will not be permitted to participate at the Maadi Cup from 2025. Exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis following approval of an Independent panel. This panel will be made up of Principal representatives, who will assess the legitimacy of the student by taking into account factors such as academic need".

There are not yet any specific proposals for alteration of the Constitution, Regulations, Rules or Safety System to be considered as part of the business of the SGM. (Those are due with the Schools Committee no later than Friday 4 October). This means, at present, the business of the SGM is developing NZSSRA policy.

Reason for SGM

By Friday 30 August NZSSRA had been contacted by 30 Member Schools to requisition a SGM about the above business.

Therefore, in accordance with Article 14.2, the Schools Committee has called for a SGM. Notice of the SGM was published on the NZSSRA website on Friday 13 September.

At the same time, in accordance with Article 14.5 of the constitution, the Schools Committee called for any remits in relation to the business of the SGM (remits must satisfy Articles 14.6 & 14.7).

Date, time and venue for SGM

The date and time for the SGM is 2pm, Friday 8 November. This date is within 10 weeks of the SGM being requisitioned (Article 14.2) and not earlier than 8 weeks of Notice being given to Members (Article 14.9).

The venue for the SGM is via Zoom. The Member Schools requisitioning the SGM asked for it to be held by Zoom/Teams. The Schools Committee considered that requested and deemed it expedient to transact the business of the SGM by electronic link through Zoom (Article 14.4)

Quorum for SGM

The quorum for the SGM is 58 of NZSSRA's 145 members. This is the 40% set down in Article 14.12.

Voting at SGM

Member Schools and Life Members have one vote each at the SGM. Member Schools may appoint a voting delegate (Article 13.1.B) or use a proxy (Article 13.1.C) to vote.

In accordance with Article 14.12. the business of the SGM other than the alteration of the Constitution, Regulations, Rules or Safety System shall be decided by a simple majority of votes cast. Votes that are not cast, whether through abstention or not attending the SGM, are ignored when calculating the majority. The simple majority threshold applies to matters of policy.

However, if the business of the SGM includes any remits for the alteration of the Constitution, Regulations, Rules or Safety System then that business shall be decided by a 75% majority of votes cast.

Call for remits

Potential remits for the SGM are to be submitted to the Schools Committee no later than Friday 4 October. These are remits related to the business of the SGM in respect of any alteration to the Constitution, Regulations, Rules or Safety System. For example, a remit setting out alterations to Rule 2 that would remove the existing eligibility of Year 14 students to compete at Maadi.

Article 14.6 prohibits proposals for alterations to the Regulations and Rules being received for reference to a SGM except in 2025. However, the Schools Committee does have absolute discretion to allow them. Any Member proposing an alteration to the Regulations or Rules at this 2024 SGM should accompany it with a case for Schools Committee to exercise its discretion. For example, provide reasons why it is necessary for a Rule to be changed in November 2024 instead of waiting until the Rule-change AGM in March 2025.

Article 14.7 requires the Schools Committee to clear proposals for the alteration of the Constitution, Regulations, Rules or Safety System as relevant and coherent before they can be included on the agenda. For example, a proposal to change a Rule needs to supply the ording changes for the revised Rule.

To recap:

  • A Special General Meeting of NZSSRA has been called
  • The SGM will be held at 2pm on Friday 8 November 2024 by ZOOM – link to come
  • The business of the SGM is policy in relation to preventing Year 14 students participating at Maadi
  • Remits relating to the business of the SGM are due with the Schools Committee no later than Friday 4 October

Members can expect an agenda for the meeting to be sent out no later than Friday 11 October.

2024 Annual General Meeting Sunday 17 March, Twizel

The Annual General Meeting of the New Zealand Secondary Schools Rowing Association was held in Twizel on Sunday 17 March 2024 in the Twizel Event Centre.

Some items of note arising from the AGM include:

  • James Devereaux elected to the Schools Committee.
  • Michelle Munro appointed to the Schools Committee.
  • John O'Connor (Life Member) gave a talk proposing restructuring from age-based classification to school year-group classification. This led to a wide ranging discussion about alternatives and other potential changes for next year's Rule change AGM.

2024 Championships Regattas NISSC, SISSC, Maadi

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COVID-19 recovery return to rowing guidance

RNZ has been receiving questions around what does return to rowing look like for rowers who have had covid. While there is some research done overseas, at this stage within New Zealand there is very little. RNZ has worked with three medical practitioners to develop guidance for return to rowing (.pdf). This is particularly relevant to students and Maadi. In summary:

  • COVID-19 is known to affect the heart, lungs, and brains. There is a very real risk if you exercise too early you could experience longer term COVID-19 and other health issues.
  • It is critical to return your rowers to training using a safe and graduated approach. The guidance is to only return to exercise after at least seven days free of symptoms followed by a minimum of two weeks with minimal exertion.

What this mean, in relation to Maadi, is:

  • COVID-19 positive or symptomatic during Maadi: if a student presents any symptoms or tests positive during the regatta they should be withdrawn from Maadi immediately.
  • COVID-19 positive fortnight prior to Maadi: if a student tested/tests positive in the fortnight leading up to Maadi then, irrespective of the severity of the symptoms, they should not be competing at Maadi.
  • COVID-19 positive 3/4 weeks prior to Maadi: the school should seek a medical clearance from a Doctor, providing a clear statement that the young person is fit and healthy to undertake strenuous exercise, such as multiple races at Maadi between the 28th of March and 2nd of April.
    Note: any student still presenting symptoms into the week prior to Maadi: should not be allowed to compete at Maadi.
  • COVID-19 positive before the end of February: any student who is still presenting any mild or moderate symptoms associated with COVID-19 should see their own Doctor before undertaking any rowing or other physical activity.
    If the school is aware the student has ongoing symptoms they should require a medical certificate before allowing the student back into training or racing.

If you have any questions contact Mark on either 021 132 4519 or [email protected]

New Schools 2024-2025 season

If you know of any schools wanting to (re-)join NZSSRA this Season please point them to our website or the Schools Committee.

Regatta Results

  • none yet

* some schools are identified at these regattas through dual-entity recognition (CLUB[SCHOOL])

STATEMENT FROM NEW ZEALAND SECONDARY SCHOOLS ROWING ASSOCIATION AND HAMILTON BOYS HIGH SCHOOL 26 July 2023

The Schools Committee of the New Zealand Secondary Schools Rowing Association (NZSSRA) has sanctioned Hamilton Boys High School following an investigation and disciplinary process regarding breaches of NZSSRA rules and regulations at four of its regattas.

Hamilton Boys High School admitted:

  • failing to properly enter and/or substitute two student rowers at the 2021 New Zealand Secondary Schools Rowing Championships (Maadi Cup) and the 2022 North Island Secondary School Rowing Championships; and then
  • rowing those rowers as "novice" rowers in subsequent years at the 2022 North Island Secondary School Rowing Championships, the 2022 Maadi Cup and the 2023 North Island Secondary School Rowing Championships, when they were not eligible to do so.

Following the investigation, the School promptly admitted the breaches. In total there were 17 breaches, across 10 events in the Under 15 and Under 18 Novice boys' categories in these regattas.

In admitting the breaches HBHS Headmaster, Susan Hassall, has said:

"We were devastated to learn of the breaches and apologise unreservedly to all the schools participating in the regattas involved. The breaches do not reflect the school's approach to sport, and were, regrettably, the result of very poor judgment by one person in our rowing programme. Our rowing programme has grown significantly in recent years, and we clearly did not have sufficient systems in place to make sure such breaches do not occur. These breaches also occurred during the COVID period, which exacerbated the problem. We deeply regret the impact this has had on the students at other schools and can assure everyone that we are making significant changes to our rowing programme to make sure it never happens again."

The School has accepted the following sanctions, formally imposed on it by the NZSSRA Schools Committee:

  1. Disqualification - All crews from Hamilton Boys High School who competed in the 10 events where a breach occurred are disqualified. All points gained from those events are forfeited and all trophies and medals must be returned to NZSSRA. A list of the events and the adjusted results are to be put on the NZSSRA website.
  2. Conditional suspension - The School is subject to a conditional order of suspension from the membership of NZSSRA for a period that will include one NZSSRA regatta, should it take effect. The conditional nature of the suspension is that the suspension is itself 'suspended', on what is effectively a 'good behaviour' basis for a period of 2 years from the date of the Schools Committee's decision.
  3. Apology - The School is to provide a written apology addressed to NZSSRA for distribution to all NZSSRA Member Schools.
  4. Costs - The School will pay NZSSRA combined costs of $5,000 towards legal costs and the cost of replacement medals and associated administration.

In giving its decision, a spokesperson for the Schools Committee said:

"The breaches by Hamilton Boys High School were significant and affected a number of other schools and rowers. Suspension is the most severe sanction the NZSSRA can impose on its Member Schools. The conditional suspension provides Hamilton Boys High School with a warning that if it breaches the same rules again, all rowers at the School will be banned from competing at either a North Island Secondary Schools Championships or a Maadi regatta, even those rowers who were not at the School at the time or who row for it subsequently.

The sanctions imposed should serve as a reminder to all Schools that they must fully comply with the rules, no exceptions. In particular, those Schools with large rowing programmes must make sure they have all the necessary systems and checks in place to ensure entries and substitutions are made and done so in compliance with the rules".

There will be no further comment from NZSSRA or Hamilton Boys High School regarding this matter.

NZSSRA