New Zealand Schools Team 2014/15

Perth, Western Australia 27 September to 5 October 2014 and Tasmania 7-8 January 2015

The Council received two appeals on the Junior Boys selection and one appeal on the Junior Girls selection for the NZ Schools Team to travel to Perth in September, heard under clauses 3.1 – 3.5  of the Orienteering NZ Selection Policy (2013)

The Council has convened and heard the appeals and has upheld all appeals.

This means the Council has asked for the Junior Boys and Junior Girls teams to be re-selected.

Junior Boys

The Junior Boys team has been sent back to the selectors for re-selection based on the team selected did not comply with the selection criteria stated in the Selection Announcement (dated 16 June 2014) and also Clause 2.2.2. of the Selection Criteria of the Orienteering NZ Selection Policy (2013).  This involved  an athlete who was not in attendance at the NZ Secondary Schools Championships being  included in the team without a suitable valid reason.

Junior Girls

The Junior Girls team has been referred to an Appeals Outcome sub-Committee, as defined in the NZ Orienteering Federation Constitution General Powers (o) which enables the Council to appoint sub-committees of any nature to consider anything and to report back with recommendation.   The Council has chosen to refer this appeal to an independent sub-committee as there was a perception of possible bias with this team selection.  Again, the sub-committee have been asked to ensure the team selected complies with the selection criteria stated in the Selection Announcement (dated 16 June 2014) and the Orienteering NZ Selection Policy (2013).

The Process

Once the teams have been re-selected, the names will be advised to the Executive Committee for endorsement and advised to the Council for final decision.

The Council is cognisant of the timeframe of the appeal process and the need for the team to be confirmed and travel arrangements to be organised.  The Council will endeavour to advise the final team selection no later than Friday 22 August 2014.

The decision of the Council on the re-selected teams shall be final and binding as per the Orienteering NZ Selection Policy (2013) clause 3.5.

Catriona McBean

General Manager