What’s in this Issue:
- View from the Chair
- NZSS Team Announcement Date
- ONZ Appointments & Vacancies
- High Performance Update
- 2016 Junior Camp & Regional Senior Squad/Junior Camp Coached Camp
- 2017 World Masters Games & Oceania Updates & Call for Volunteers
- IOF Environment Commission
View from the Chair – June 2016
Queens Birthday provided great orienteering courses, keen competition and good numbers to match. It also saw our close friends from Australia come over the ditch to contest both junior and senior Pinestars against Bushrangers with a sprinkling of followers to be found in the other classes. The competitions throughout the weekend offered both JWOC and WOC athletes some welcome opportunities to prepare for forthcoming international competitions. The sand dune forests provided the Australians with some testing terrain and as I gather, a distinct change from that encountered at their regular events.
ONZ Council took the opportunity over the weekend to meet with their counterparts to discuss emerging issues. Several Council members and Paul Teesdale Spittle (convenor of the Junior Development Committee) hosted Blair Trewin (President OA) and Lance Read (High Performance Leader) to a working dinner after the Middle Distance at Kuku Beach. Amongst topics discussed included the possibility of expanding Oceania to include more than just NZ and Australia; an IOF request to hold regional youth championships and the “hot issue” of having home and away junior representative test matches. The latter discussions aired problems around dates and for the Australian different timetables between states – something which we do not suffer from in NZ!!. However the commitment is evident in both camps to make this happen and we will continue with our discussions to ensure that this materializes as soon as is practically possibly.
Finally best wishes go with our JWOC team and management for a successful and enjoyable competition in Europe.
David Turner
Chairperson, ONZ Board
NZSS Team announcement date
The NZSS team will be announced as soon as possible after the individual races NZSS Champs, to be hosted by Orienteering Waikato (21-23 July 2016).
As indicated in the selection notice, results from NZSS races will also be considered when making selections.
NZSS Entry Reminder
Orienteers should run their correct grade at NZSS based on their date of birth.
ONZ Appointments & Vacancies
The following vacancies are currently being advertised on the ONZ website:
- Junior Development Committee member
- Mapping Information Transfer from Maptalk
The deadline for JDC member applications has been extended so we can get a suitable candidate.
Full position descriptions for all these roles are available on the Orienteering NZ website.
UPDATE – NZ Secondary Schools team to Australia
Mike Harding (PAPO) and Derek Morrison (HBOC) have been appointed manager and coach for the upcoming tour to Australia.
High Performance Update
Times change. In the mid 1990’s selection for JWOC was mainly a matter of who was available and wanted to go and there was little competition for places. Teams were relatively small and results were seldom better than mediocre. Around this time New Zealand first competed in the Southern Cross Challenge at the Australian Schools Championships. For a whole new range of athletes this provided the first experience of international competition and being part of a New Zealand team, and was largely responsible for the significant boost in junior orienteering which has let to fierce competition for JWOC places and, ultimately, to the recent achievements not only at JWOC, but also at WOC.
One of the goals of the High Performance Plan was to lay out the series of stepping stones that a junior orienteer needs to go through to reach the ultimate level of competing against the world’s best at WOC and in World Cups. In this ladder of progression it was recognised that JWOC is several steps higher than the Australian Schools Championships, and is the highest goal that a junior orienteer can aim for. The challenges, both physical and mental, encountered at JWOC are significantly harder and more complex. Athletes selected for JWOC are therefore deemed to be those who have reached the level of experience and achievement that makes them ready to meet the challenges of JWOC. The Australian Schools Championships is a stepping stone on the way to reaching that state of readiness.
However, it has been increasingly apparent that the success of the Southern Cross Challenge and the Australian Schools Championships in doing this also has drawbacks. In particular, over the last few years many of the places in the team for Australia have been filled by athletes who have only recently returned from JWOC in that year. While no-one doubts the ability of these athletes to successfully compete in Australia, this rather compromises the role of the Australian Schools Championships as a stage in the development of the next series of junior athletes, as those not yet ready for, but aspiring to JWOC, are shut out of the schools team. For this reason, recognizing the development role of the Australian Schools Championships, the High Performance Plan recommended that athletes selected for JWOC should not be selected in the schools team in that same year, thus expanding the number of athletes experiencing international competition. While this may seem unfair to some, who perhaps believe that all teams should be picked solely on merit, it is firmly in the long term interests of New Zealand orienteering to consider, in selection of teams, the development needs of the sport.
At WOC, at the highest level of the sport, there are now, and will remain, quota systems, based on achievement, which dictate how many competitors each country has in each discipline. Given the financial constraints faced by most of our top athletes, to avoid a cyclical pattern of a good team one year being followed by a weak one the next, and NZL being perpetually stuck in the lowest ranked group, it is essential that we expand the depth of talent. This means that having suitable development opportunities and using them to bring athletes through into international competition is paramount. Without this, beyond the Australian Schools Championships, beyond JWOC, opportunities really are going to be limited.
Thanks to Pelorus Trust who have granted ONZ $4,000 towards the costs of the National and U23 Squad camps this year.
2016 Junior Camp
Thanks to Pub Charity who have again come to the party by granting us $10,000 towards to cost of the Junior Camp.
The Junior Camp is being held in Canterbury, organised by PAPO.
17 – 22 December 2016
Woodend Christian Camp (north of Christchurch)
Terrain- Local sand dunes, Banks Peninsula hills, urban sprints and alpine forests
Junior Camp is for you if you are…
- At school or of equivilent age
- Running orange consistently or red
- A member of an ONZ affiliated club
- Someone who wants to imporve their orienteering and have fun
- Aiming for regional schools team and NZ schools team
Regional Senior Squad & Junior Camp Coaches Camp
11-16 December 2016
Mt Cheeseman Lodge, Castle Hill
Terrain- Castle Hill, Flock hill boulders, Hogs Back and mountain running
Development Camp is for you if you are…
- Minimum age year 12 or equivilent up to 23.
- Wanting progression from Junior Camp
- A member of an ONZ affiliated club
- Aiming for Junior Superseries, Junior Pinestars and JWOC.
- Have commitment to training for orienteering
- Getting good results in NZ champs, Queens Birthday, JWOC trials etc.
For Both Camps:
Cost TBC includes full board, maps, transport
Applications open on ONZ website from 1 July and close on 31 July. Participants confirmed by 31 August 2016.
2017 World Masters Games & Oceania Updates
Embargoes…
A wee reminder to ALL orienteers the WMG2017 embargoes apply to everyone, regardless of whether you are a masters orienteer or not. Please ensure you respect and abide by these embargoes. Click here to find out about the embargoes.
AWMG Registrations are Open
Registrations for WMG2017 are now open.
WMOC2017 Bulletin 1 – “Sports Information Guide” Published
The WMOC2017 Bulletin 1 is now published Click Here
Oceania Registrations are Open
Registrations for Oceania are now open.
CALLING ALL ORIENTEERS!!
In April 2017 Auckland will host two of the largest orienteering events ever to be held in New Zealand. The Oceania Orienteering Championships and the Auckland World Masters Games will run over consecutive weekends in terrain throughout the region.
Auckland, Counties Manukau and North West Orienteering Clubs are collaborating to organise both orienteering carnivals, and its going to be a great challenge to hold 11 races in 14 days (including 2 days in Rotorua organised by OBOP). With ONZ, the three clubs have formed a steering group which has been working together for five years to lay the foundations for this landmark occasion.
We are hosting Oceania ourselves. This will be like a normal NZ orienteering event, only bigger.
For Auckland World Masters Games, orienteering is just one of 28 sports. We’re contracted to deliver orienteering within the larger Games event. Auckland is expecting 25,000 athletes – that’s bigger than the Olympics – of which 1000 or more will be orienteers.
We will use the same teams to deliver both events. Volunteers will still be able to compete – we’ll work around your commitments.
OCEANIA CHAMPIONSHIPS VOLUNTEERS
We are using this signup form to collect volunteers for Oceania and AWMG but as per below you must also register on the official AWMG site.
AWMG VOLUNTEERS
AWMG will have a compulsory volunteer registration process via the official AWMG website. It is a quick and easy process to sign up – about 10min! All our club members will be “sport-specific volunteers”. The Games team want to have all sport specific volunteers signed up as early as possible so go on and do this now. When registering with AWMG, you’re just putting your name down. You won’t be assigned to any particular role. But, what do you get includes:
- A code to use when applying that allows you to skip many questions and the interview process.
- When you get to the section asking for a sporting partner endorsed code use ORIENSC
- A free uniform to keep
- Meals
- A mighty good feeling for helping out your club and the sport of orienteering
- The experience of being part of one of the biggest sporting events in the world
What you need to do:
- Apply as a volunteer as soon as you can
- Have your driver’s license or passport ready when you apply plus your t-shirt size
- Be available to help at four or more volunteer shifts
For more information have a look here: http://www.worldmastersgames2017.co.nz/getinvolved/volunteers/
The FAQ’s link has a lot more detailed information if there is anything more you need to know. Once you’ve got all the info you need, grab your passport or driver’s license, click Apply and choose the SPORT link. When you get to the section asking for a sporting partner endorsed code use ORIENSC
Thank you so much for taking the time to apply as a volunteer so Orienteering can be a successful sport at the Auckland World Masters Games!
So what are you waiting for….fill out your details here, tell us your plans and we’ll be back in touch.
International Orienteering Federation revives Environment Commission
The IOF’s Environment Commission has been dormant for some time, but now efforts are being made to revive it. A new chairman has been appointed, and work is underway to recruit new members and define its main tasks.
Einar Tommelstad, previously the president of the Norwegian Orienteering Federation, has agreed to lead the commission. He is joined by Eje Andersson from Sweden, as the first appointed members.
We are very pleased that Einar has said yes to leading the Environment Commission, says IOF CEO Tom Hollowell. – Taking care of our natural environment and acting in a sustainable manner are deeply embedded in the IOFs values and strategic plan. We need a strong commission which can support our disciplines and organisers and this appointment is a key part of strengthening our sustainability activities.
You can read a longer interview with newly appointed Environment Commission chairman Einar Tommelstad on the IOF website.
Keeping you more informed
ONZ has updated its enewsletter database which now allows you to chose which areas are of special interest to you – such as High Performance, Technical, Mapping.
To update your email list Preferences, please Click Here.
We welcome your feedback at any time.
Our mailing address is: gm@orienteering.org.nz
UPCOMING EVENTS
- JWOC 9- 15 July 2016
- WUOC 30 July – 4 August 2016
- NZ Secondary Schools 21-23 July 2016
For more events check out the Orienteering NZ website
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