As we close off another term, we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been involved with Secondary School Sport. Teachers, coaches, managers, whānau, officials, competition providers and of course the students.    It has been another challenging term with many schools facing staff shortages due to Covid-19 and the Flu.  These illnesses have had a huge impact on students too, who have been unable to play sport, but it has been reassuring to see schools and sporting organisations showing compassion, and adaptability to keep sport happening across the country. 

The great news is many events and tournaments have been delivered with special attention to health and safety to minimise transmission risk of Covid-19.  The July school holidays are open for business with 13 sanctioned events scheduled.  The first on the calendar is the South Island and North Island Road Cycling Championships in Christchurch and Cambridge respectively.  These have always been extremely well-run events with some excellent competition between schools.   The South Island Junior Netball Tournament will take place in the first three days of holidays with over 80 teams from across the island attending.  This is a highlight for year 9 and 10 players and chance to hone their skills whilst enjoying a fun tournament experience. 

New Zealand Area Schools tournament will be hosted by Te Taitokerau Area Schools in Whangarei with representation from each of the four regions competing across several codes.  The NZSS Rogaine Championships will be hosted in Taranaki, whilst the NZSS Orienteering Championships will take place in Waiuku. These events test both students' physical capability and navigational skills across challenging terrain. For further details and a full list of what is happening please visit our events website at School Sport New Zealand - School Sport NZ Events

Good luck to all Rangatahi and schools competing in sanctioned events over the holidays.  We wish you safe travels and look forward to a busy term 3 with the highlight for many being Winter Tournament Week. 

FAQ’s for teams who are attending School Sport New Zealand Sanctioned Tournaments/Events

​​​​​​​These FAQ’s have been put together in response to queries and concerns from School Principals, Sports Coordinators, Coaches, Parents and Event Providers as they prepare for tournaments and events sanctioned by School Sport New Zealand.  We are still in the middle of a pandemic, and it is important not to forget the recommendations from the Ministry of Health to minimize the risk of transmission. Currently the entire country is at the orange setting and you can access the summaries here for activities played indoors and here for activities played outdoors.

If someone in our team contracts COVID-19 while at a tournament – does the whole team become a household contact and need to isolate and return home?

You are a Household Contact if you:

• normally live in a house or flat on a permanent or part-time basis (for example, shared custody) with a person who has tested positive, and
• you spent at least 1 night or day (more than 8 hours) in that residence while the person was infectious.
• You are also a Household Contact if you do not normally share a residence with the person who has COVID-19 but have spent a night together in the same room.

Anyone who has recovered from Covid-19, but experiences symptoms 29 days or more after infection, should take a test and will need to isolate if they test positive. If it is 28 days or fewer since a recent infection, a test is not needed. 

Household contacts who themselves had Covid within the past 90 days do not need to isolate, unless they are symptomatic.

Household Contacts | Unite against COVID-19 (covid19.govt.nz)

Mitigation:  Take extra pre-cautions leading up to the event.  Wear a mask, social distance, wash hands etc.  If your tournament or event is in your hometown, stay at home rather than having shared accommodation.

If our team is unable to attend a tournament or continue the tournament because of COVID-19, will we get a refund for our entry?

School Sport New Zealand have asked all event providers to include this with their entry information or as a separate documentIf you are unable to find this, contact the event provider or School Sport New Zealand.

If a student has had COVID-19, What are the ‘return to play guidelines’ for secondary school sport?

School Sport New Zealand follow the Ministry of Education Guidelines which you can find here. Some sports have their own specific guidelines to follow e.g. Netball.  The guidelines err on the side of caution, so common sense should prevail.  If you are unsure seek medical advice especially if a student has other underlying health concerns, like asthma.

Are there specific COVID-19 Health & Safety requirements for secondary sports tournaments i.e., is there a REQUIREMENT to have negative COVID-19 test result 48 hours before event etc.? 

There is no legislative requirement for team members or management to have a COVID-19 negative test before attending an event or tournament.  School Sport New Zealand suggest following government regulations already discussed above regarding reducing the risk of transmission including mask wearing, hygiene practices and social distancing.

Can the school legally ask parents if a child has had COVID thus hopefully knowing that they may not get it again?

​​​​​​​They can ask but would need to be clear about why they wanted the information and what they were going to do with it (standard Privacy Act clauses apply).   

Can the school ask to view Vaccination Passports?​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​All Children and young people, regardless of their vaccination status, can participate in school-organised teams and groups, or as an individual representing the school, in a competition or event.  This applies whether on the school site or off the school site, but to registered school only.  Therefore, there is no reason to ask for a students Vaccination status.