ONZ Major Events Special Update – 11 September 2020

By ONZ Online Coordinator - Roger Woodroofe - Fri 11 Sep 2020 7:16pm

U23 Camp, Championships, Oceania2021, Events, covid-19, Junior Camp, Nationals, Oceania, Schools, Camp, Rules, Secondary Schools, Major Events

The reemergence of Covid-19 in the community in August and subsequent escalation of alert levels has created uncertainty regarding many of our marque events. This update provides the most up-to-date information about these key events to provide a degree of clarity for the Orienteering Community.

Special thanks must be given to the many host clubs for their ongoing efforts revising and rescheduling in an effort to make these events possible. Over one hundred volunteers are involved in running these events, many of whom have to take leave to help. With postponements over recent months, many volunteers have been in the unenviable position of re-negotiating leave up to three times. For this we are very thankful.

The updates below take into account the anticipated Government announcement of Covid Alert Levels on Monday 14th September. For many events this will be a key determinate about how the event will proceed. For ongoing updates please check the respective event website. Updates for the Junior and U23 Camps can be found on the ONZ website. Clicking on the event banners below will take you to event websites.

Yours Sincerely

Peter Swanson Christo Peters
Chairman General Manager

North Island Secondary School Championships 2020

26-28 September 2020
Counties Manukau

Hosts Counties Manukau have investigated multiple options to enable this event to take place. With a high percentage of participants coming from Auckland and recent Government requests for Aucklanders to observe 10 people limits outside Auckland, organisers and ONZ have agreed that the event can’t be run while these limits are in place. After much discussion and consultation the following decisions have been made:

(i) If on Monday 14th September the Government’s Covid alert levels for all of the North Island are either at level one or level two with gathering limits of 100, then the event will proceed as planned.
(ii) If on Monday 14th September all of the North Island is not at level one or two (with gatherings of 100), the event will be postponed until 17th & 18th October consisting of the sprint and long events.
(iii) If the event can not take place on 17th & 18th October it will be cancelled.

New Zealand Secondary School Championships 2020

8-10 October 2020
Hawkes Bay

On Sunday 6th September Orienteering New Zealand’s Council met to discuss options for a number of major events. At the meeting it was decided that a New Zealand Secondary School Championships could only take place if it was open to all areas of the country. Discussions on the practicalities of running the NZSS Champs have been discussed between Hawkes Bay, ONZ and School Sport New Zealand. From these discussions, it has been decided that the NZSS Champs will only take place if every area of New Zealand is at Level One. The decision about the event going ahead will be made following the Government Covid Alert Level announcement on Monday 14th September.

New Zealand Championships 2020

23-26 October 2020
Manawatu

Work continues to progress behind the scenes with Nationals. As part of this, Orienteering NZ’s technical committee has confirmed the following rule changes and conditions under which national level events may be held under Covid level two restrictions:

Rule Changes for 2020 Nationals (PDF)

We hope these changes provide more scope for running a fair nationals competition, whilst complying with level two restrictions. Orienteering NZ and Orienteering Wellington have been working closely behind the scenes to work through what these changes mean for Nationals. There are implications for the specific events offered, competition rules, start times, event arenas, contact points, and access to maps. Orienteering Wellington will confirm their intentions for Nationals in the next few days. This communication will be available on the Nationals and ONZ websites.

Orienteering NZ encourages and supports clubs to work within today’s amended rules. However, it is over to individual clubs to decide whether they can deliver such events. ONZ acknowledges that undertaking a major event under level 2 will require additional planning and resourcing that not every club will be able to deliver. It needs to be emphasised that safety is of paramount importance and that plans to run a Nationals under level 2 should be done in a way that complies with the MoH level 2 guidelines. On this basis ONZ has updated the COVID guidelines to reflect the option of running a National event with the correct procedures in place

U23 Camp 2020

6-11 December 2020
Nelson

Entries for the U23 Camp have now closed. These applicants will be reviewed by ONZ over the next week. From here participants will be offered positions.

Invoices will be sent out once applicants formally accept invitations to the camp. The cost for the camp this year will be $250. Further detail will follow once numbers have been confirmed.

Orienteering New Zealand expects the camp to be run at level one or two and will continue to monitor Government Alert Levels.

Junior Camp 2020

13-18 December 2020
Nelson

Entries for the Junior Camp have now closed. In 2020 the Junior Camp eligibility criteria changed. This has meant that all students between year 9 & 13 who are competing at red level or competent at orange level will be accepted – subject to their clubs substantiating the information they have supplied. Once clubs have confirmed applicant information, ONZ will officially offer places to applicants. Unlike previous years, there will be no additional selection criteria or limiting of numbers.

Invoices will be sent out once applicants formally accept invitations to the camp. The cost for the camp this year will be $450. Further detail will follow once numbers have been confirmed.

Orienteering New Zealand is asking all participants to hold off purchasing travel to Nelson for the camp until after Monday 12th October. This is the date when a decision will be made about the camp going ahead based on the Covid restrictions in place at the time.

Oceania Championships 2021

9-17 January 2021
Canterbury

ONZ, Orienteering Australia and Pennisula and Plains Orienteering Club have made the decision that Oceania is unable to take place in 2021. Covid restrictions and the closure of borders in New Zealand and Australia have made the event untenable as an international competition in January next year.

Discussions are under way with Orienteering Australia regarding the possibility of the event postponing one year, to run in New Zealand in January 2022. We will share more information when these discussions have concluded.

PAPO and Marlborough Orienteering club are still keen to offer some high-quality orienteering in January 2021. More details will be available soon.

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