NZSSSC School Team Eligibility criteria pupils new to school: updated for 2011
In term 2 of 2007 the NZSSSC introduced School Team Eligibility criteria. The purpose of the criteria is to curb the practice of recruiting talented sporting pupils, either from one school into another or from overseas.
The criteria work by imposing team limits for the number of pupils who are "new" to a school i.e. one who transferred to the school after year 9 or is a non-domestic pupil.
In 2010 the criteria were revised to introduce Primary Caregiver Relocation Exemptions (obtained through NZSSSC's Regional Sports Directors: more details here) as a replacement for the existing system of school-issued exemptions, which was seen as ineffective. At the same time the look-back period for working out whether a pupil is "new" was generally dropped from two years to one year. However, rowing still looks back two years for eights crews and we also retain old-style exemptions for school that go co-ed after year 9 (KGCA and SPLH). this is so their incoming girls with rowing experience are not unduely penalised.
NZSSRA first introduced the criteria in the Terms and Conditions for our Championships regattas starting 2008 and then added reference to them to our Rules (Rule 2.4) during the 2009 AGM. The criteria are in force at the North and South Island Secondary School Rowing Championships and Maadi Regattas (New Zealand Secondary Schools Rowing Championships).
This article sets out how the current NZSSSC School Team Eligibility criteria are applied to NZSSRA regattas, which are sanctioned by NZSSSC, and provides Member schools with some guidance for establishing which pupils are affected by the criteria.
The Limits
- The NZSSSC team eligibility criteria apply at our Championships regattas on a crew-by-crew basis.
- The criteria apply to all pupils (sweep oar and/or sculling and/or coxswains).
- The limit for a coxed eight is TWO (2) pupils new to the school and THREE (3) pupils who are new over the past two years. For all other boats the limit is ONE (1) pupil new to the school.
Who's "new"...
- Non-domestic pupils
Non-domestic pupils ARE ALWAYS AFFECTED by the eligibility criteria and must be counted towards your limit for new pupils (for each crew that pupil rows in).
- Domestic pupils include: New Zealand & Australian citizens, holders of a New Zealand passport (e.g. Cook Islands) or residency permit, and dependents of a work permit holder, refugee, diplomat or whatever definition the Ministry of Education currently applies.
- Girls joining KGCA or SPLH
Go through the following questions one-by-one. If the answer is "No" you can stop going through the questions because the girl IS NOT AFFECTED by the eligibility criteria.
- Has the girl previously competed at a Championships regatta (NISS/SISS/Maadi) for a different school?
- Has the girl transferred from another NZ school WITHOUT written agreement from both schools that she should be exempt from the criteria?
If the answer to both questions above is "Yes" then the girl IS AFFECTED by the eligibility criteria and must be counted towards your limit for new pupils (for each crew that pupil rows in).
- All other pupils (including boys at KGA and SPLH)
Go through the following questions one by one. If the answer is "Yes" you can stop going through the questions because the pupil IS NOT AFFECTED by the eligibility criteria.
- Did the pupil join the school* in year 9 or earlier?
*this is when the pupil starts attending the school not when they start rowing
- Has the pupil been granted a Primary Care-giver Relocation Exemption* by NZSSSC's Regional Sports Director: more details here)?
*the school must supply a copy to NZSSRA
- Will the pupil have been at the school for more than 12 months* on the first day of the Championships?
*24 months when looking at crew members in eights
If the answer to all three questions above is "No" then the pupil IS AFFECTED by the eligibility criteria and must be counted towards your limit for new pupils (for each crew that pupil rows in).
Any questions from member schools about how the NZSSSC team criteria affect their specific circumstances should be directed to the Executive Officer.