As notified in May 2024, School Sport NZ delayed its bi-annual eligibility review in order to complete its Governance and Membership review.

We were pleased to receive thoughtful and detailed submissions from six schools in 2024, and we wish to thank them and assure that those submissions will be carried forward into this submission window. There were also some eligibility issues arising out of 2024 and the board of SSNZ updated its eligibility guidelines in a number of areas as notified in December 2024. 

The submissions and recent examples highlight a number of issues, some of which have been under discussion for many years, including suggestions to:

• better articulate the values of school sport in the rules
• remove PCRE exemptions for New to School (NTS) students (except for limited exceptions) as it is seen as an endorsement of poaching
• remove the non-domestic limits and only apply NTS limits (regardless of whether students are foreign) or review the non-domestic limits so that a foreign student who starts in Year 9 or 10 is only NTS for 3 years, but is not thereafter
• streamline the process of undertaking investigations for breach of the Rules by SSNZ managing them and removing the existing regional process
• review the 600-student roll threshold for basketball, due to increase in rolls and where there may be fluctuations from year to year
• consideration of an U18 rule for all sports (not just rugby and rowing) as students over 18 are generally Year 14 students. This would better allow for equitable opportunities and avoid a Year 14 student taking a Year 13 student’s place. Those students can access club and association U19 and other age group competitions outside of school.
• consider alignment of NTS quota nationally for all sports as currently this is not the case
• review the legality of the rules to ensure there are not unjustified breaches of human rights such as limitations on rights to freedom of movement, association and religion
• review of NTS rules applicable to schools who only have mixed gender in the senior years, where those students are disadvantaged as they are always NTS (can only start at the school in Year 11 or later)
• consider if, and how, the Home School Educators Association (which is not a registered school) could enter students into SSNZ competitions

As previously advised, it was envisaged that the submissions would be considered and incorporated into a wholesale review of the Eligibility Rules, which is underway, with the intention they would be approved this year to come into effect on 1 January 2025.

However, the Board decided to adjust the timing of the Eligibility Rules due to other related work it has been undertaking. This includes its reviews of the School Sport NZ:

• Membership structure - Complete
• Governance and Decision-making structure and processes - Complete
• Constitution - which needs to consider the outcomes of the various reviews and ensure we are compliant with the new Incorporated Societies Act 2022 (by the deadline of 1 April 2026). - Draft ready for board review and further consultation

SSNZ is being supported by Sport NZ with this work which forms part of our Strengthen and Adapt plan. The Board has therefore approved the following revised timing for this work:

       2025

• Submissions from member schools and national sport bodies should be sent to ceo@schoolsportnz.org.nz by Friday 14th February
• School Sport NZ Board considers submissions in early March 2025 and schools and NSOs notified of proposed changes shortly after this meeting
• Submissions on proposed changes to School Sport NZ CEO by the 12th April 2025 
• SSNZ Board considers submissions and confirm final changes at its AGM in late May 2025
• Schools notified of 2026 Eligibility Criteria in June 2025

It is vital that both schools and sport partners engage with SSNZ throughout this process and we look forward to your involvement. If you have any further questions please contact the CEO SSNZ - ceo@schoolsportnz.org.nz

Article added: Thursday 30 January 2025