2021 Championship Venues and Dates
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In Memory of Don Chadderton
Don Chadderton being presented his Life Member of Athletics New Zealand badge by Chris Maister, Athletics New Zealand Board Member at a recent function in Christchurch honouring Don’s service to Athletics. |
Retirement of Michelle Pollard
Michelle Pollard (right), Tauranga Girls College teacher and retiring NZSSAA Executive Member receiving a gift from Ange Russek, NZSSAA Secretary. The NZSSAA Executive wishes to recognise Michelle’s excellent contribution to the Association over the past ten years including several years as Secretary and as NZSSAA Team manager to three Australian Schools Cross Country Championships, four ISF World Secondary Schools Cross Country Championships and one Pacific Schools Games.
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Cross Country Schools Team Challenge
UPDATE 2: Results from this event are now available below. UPDATE 1: The Cross Country Teams races in Whanganui are going ahead September 19. Girls events start at 10-00 am and Boys at 12-15 pm. There is room for a few more teams and schools interested must email Alec McNab by this weekend. Schools who have entered will receive our Covid Level 2 protocols and a programme in the next 24 hours. In place of the cancelled Cross Country Championships, Whanganui Collegiate School are offering a Team Challenge for any interested schools, to be held Saturday 19th September, compatible with Level 2 restrictions. This competition is open to schools who wish to field a 3 or 6 to score Team. The emphasis is on Teams and individual entries would not be accepted. Whanganui is 1 hour 15-minute drive from Hawera so that teams could retain their booked accommodation. Expression of interest no later than 9-00 am on Wednesday 9th September and Schools will be advised the following day of their acceptance and whether the event was to go ahead. |
Southern Schools Cross Country Blow Out, Ashbury Park, Timaru, 24 September
With so many XC events being cancelled or postponed, this is an event for those keen runners who have trained hard for their sport and missed out on competing in their chosen discipline. The event holds no championship status but we hope you will support it for those students who have shown an interest and/or been training for cross-country and have been denied the opportunity to compete. We apologise for the short notice but also realise this event will appeal to those keen runners who will organise themselves quickly for a chance to compete and so will hopefully reduce any administrative load on yourselves. With Timaru’s central location and a later start time, we believe most schools will be able to make this into a great day or overnight trip for their team of runners or for individuals. The course used will be the same as successfully utilised for the NZ Secondary Schools Cross-Country at Ashbury Park in 2019 with a 1km and a 2km loop making up the distances. The draft timetable is below but we will confirm it once all entries are in eg if we receive a huge amount of entries for Year 7 and year 8 girls we may split them into separate races. 11.30 am Year 5&6 Girls 2km (two times the 1km loop) and Para 1km/2km Athletes must pre-enter and there will be no late entries. Entries close Monday 21st September at 5pm. In the event of New Zealand or the region still being in Level 2, the event will still be held and the appropriate measures taken, protocols put in place and emailed out to all entrants. The event will not be held should we move to Level 3. |
NZSSAA Cross Country Championships, Hawera 2020 have been cancelled
The NZSSAA Executive have taken what we know will be a very disappointing decision for all of the individual athletes and teams who have entered or intended entering for our Cross Country and Cross Country Relay Championships on September 19-20. We had hoped that community transmission of covid-19 might have stopped and that NZ would have been able to move into Alert Level 1 status by September 6. Unfortunately, the announcement by the Prime Minister that NZ would be staying in Alert level 2 (and 2.5 for Auckland) until September 16 made it too uncertain a situation for us to proceed. The last thing we would want would be to hold an event which could possibly help the spread of the virus and, knowing that the number of people attending would far exceed the Alert Level 2 limits no matter how effective our separation of groups around the course might be, cancellation became the only acceptable decision. Executive would like to thank everyone intending to come to Hawera for their support of our event. Your interest in taking part is very much appreciated. Particular thanks to the Taranaki based Local Organising Committee who have really worked hard to provide what would have been an outstanding event. Executive have decided that the 2021 Cross Country Championships will now be in Hawera on June 19-20. A memo will be sent to schools who have paid entry and affiliation fees regarding their reimbursement. |
Cross Country and Cross Country Relay Championships, Hawera, September 19-20
The NZSSAA Executive are pleased to be able to confirm that our championships will be held on the weekend of September 19-20 in Hawera as long as New Zealand is able to remain in Covid-19 alert Level 1. Our date has been accepted by School Sport NZ and fits in well with the changes to Athletics NZ’s winter calendar. Please be aware that September 19 is the date of the General Election and those attending the championships who are eligible to vote should consider completing their voting earlier. |
2020 NZSSAA Cross Country Championships Hawera
It is with regret we announce the SUSPENSION of the NZSSAA Cross Country and Cross Country Relay Championships due be held in Hawera on the weekend of June 20/21. NZSSAA Executive are working with School Sport NZ and in liaison with Athletics NZ on confirming a replacement date. The proposed date is Saturday & Sunday 19/20 September subject to possible COVID-19 Level restrictions of the Government and School Sport NZ sanctioning. This will be confirmed as soon as possible under the current situation we all face in New Zealand. NZSSAA are aware that this weekend has no major Athletics NZ events scheduled and the facilities needed in Hawera are available that weekend. Saturday, September 19 is scheduled as the date of the General Election which means having the cross country that day will be of some inconvenience to voters although postal and early voting, as well as special voting, will be available in Hawera and other Taranaki centres. The NZSSAA Executive understands the disappointment this postponement will cause our athletes, their families, coaches and managers who will have been preparing and planning to take part but given the likelihood that significant restrictions on movement and close association with other people will still be in place into May and June it was felt it was better to provide as much certainty as is possible at this time. We are very keen to hold the championships this year if at all possible hence the suspension decision rather than cancellation at this stage. It is hoped that travel and accommodation plans can be changed to the proposed date without incurring significant expense and disruption but please email oe@nzssaa.org.nz with any concerns you have or issues you encounter. |
Cancellation of the North Island and South Island Secondary Schools Athletics Championships for 2020
In support of the announcement made by School Sport NZ last evening 16 March on the suspension of the National School Sport Calendar until 6 April, NZSSAA advises that the North Island and South Island Secondary Schools events scheduled for 4th – 5th April in Hamilton and Christchurch respectively have been cancelled. We understand that this will lead to disappointment for many in our athletics community, however we fully support the stance of Government and School Sport NZ in the interest of the health and well-being of our students, teachers, schools, officials, volunteers, coaches, family members and others in attendance. Regional bodies with upcoming events can make an appropriate decision, in consultation with their schools, if their events involve less than 500 people. Athletics NZ have provided some very good information for those intending to continue with their events in terms of advice and precautions which can be obtained by emailing oe@nzssaa.org.nz. Tony Rogers |
Hughes Memorial Cross Country
This event is now cancelled, but should be back again next year. The Hughes Memorial Cross Country will be held on the 2020 Secondary Schools’ Cross Country course, on Saturday 30 May. The first race will begin at 1pm. This is an inter-club cross country event, traditionally for ANZ-registered athletes, however last year and this year again it will be open to high school students as well. More information to come later, otherwise contact Miranda Elliot (simonelliott@xtra.co.nz ). |
North Island Champs Information
The North Island Secondary Schools Athletics Championships will be held in Hamilton, April 4-5. |
South Island Champs Information
The South Island Secondary Schools Athletics Championships will be held in Christchurch, April 4-5. |
6 November 2020 3:00pm 
