Latest news with #Grocott
1News
30-07-2025
- Sport
- 1News
Ban on 'Year 14s' proposed for all school sport
The controversial practice of Year 14 students competing in secondary school sports events will be banned under proposed new eligibility rules. School Sport NZ on Wednesday released its draft eligibility rules following a lengthy review. Among the key proposed rule changes is a blanket ban on students returning for a sixth year of high school — known as year 14s — from competing in School Sport NZ sanctioned events. The year 14 issue has been the subject of debate within top-flight secondary school events for decades, with critics claiming the practice stokes a "win at all costs" attitude. The debate came to a head in high school rowing earlier this year when a group of high school principals banded together to force a vote on the eligibility rules for the Maadi Regatta. ADVERTISEMENT The schools overwhelmingly voted in favour of a rule change banning year 14 rowers from competing in the prestigious event. The issue has also been fiercely debated in rugby circles this season after RNZ revealed Marlborough Boys' College, one of the top rugby schools in the South Island, had five year 14s in its line-up this year. School Sport NZ chairperson and principal of Shirley Boys' High School Tim Grocott said it is hoped the proposed rule changes, which would also include new anti-poaching measures, would address many longstanding challenges in secondary school sport. "What we're really saying is that we're wanting greater integrity, greater fairness, and greater consistency across competitions," said Grocott. "Where that integrity piece fits really clearly is at the championship level. So at that top tier of competition, we're wanting to see as best as possible a level playing field existing." Grocott said after receiving a strong mandate from principals to change the eligibility for the Maadi Cup earlier this year, there was a push to ensure the rules were consistent across all sports. "Really what we want to do is re-emphasise that educational piece. Students are at school for their education, and the sport is a byproduct of that. ADVERTISEMENT "If people want to come back for year 14, then that's fine if it's for an educational purpose. It isn't for a sporting purpose." Marlborough Boys' College principal Jarrod Dunn told RNZ last month his school did not set out to stack its rugby team with year 14s to gain a competitive advantage. He said in previous years the school may have had "one or two" students return for year 14, but this year was an "anomaly" in that they had a large cohort of eight students return to school due to the current social climate making it difficult for young people to find employment in the region. Dunn said he did not think it was fair to deny the year 14 boys the opportunity to participate in all areas of school life. As was the case with rowing, the proposed rules would allow schools to apply for a dispensation to field a year 14 athlete where there were "valid educational grounds for a student's continued enrolment in year 14". It was understood schools would need to meet a strict set of criteria before a dispensation could be granted. Three schools applied for an exemption to field a year 14 student at this year's Maadi Regatta at Lake Kārapiro — all three were declined. ADVERTISEMENT Shirley Boys' High School headmaster Tim Grocott said the new eligibility rules are aimed at levelling the playing field in high school sport. (Source: 'Poaching' and homeschool competitor rules The proposed changes also included updated guidelines on student transfers, poaching, composite teams, and dispensations. Under the new rules, the definition of poaching was strengthened to "include any act of influencing, encouraging or approaching a student to transfer to another school for the purposes of sport participation", whether directly or indirectly through a third party. Grocott said the "new to school" rules had also been tightened to introduce a new transfer process. If a student wanted to compete in a championship level event for a new school, statutory declarations must be signed by the transferring student, their caregivers and the principal of the new school. "We're wanting to clamp down on those behaviours around influencing, encouraging, approaching, and providing inducements for students to move from one school to another," he said. "It flies in the face of that educational piece that we're wanting to see." ADVERTISEMENT However, the summary document released to principals on Tuesday did not include proposed rules for home-schooled students. Currently, School Sport NZ rules allowed students who were home-schooled to compete in secondary school events, but they were not eligible to win medals or titles. The issue was thrust into the spotlight in April this year when Tauranga mountain-biker Amelia Twiss placed second in the North Island Secondary Schools championships, but was denied a medal. "The board is still considering how best to include [home school students], and once a recommended approach is confirmed, it will be consulted on separately and incorporated into the final draft where appropriate," the document stated. The consultation period for the draft regulations would close on September 12. School Sport NZ chief executive Mike Summerell said input from schools would be critical in shaping the final version of the regulations. The new regulations would apply to all School Sport NZ-sanctioned events from January 1, 2026. ADVERTISEMENT
NZ Herald
29-07-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
School Sport NZ proposes ban on Year 14 student athletes in competitions
The debate came to a head in high school rowing earlier this year when a group of high school principals banded together to force a vote on the eligibility rules for the Maadi Regatta. The schools overwhelmingly voted in favour of a rule change banning Year 14 rowers from competing in the prestigious event. The issue has also been fiercely debated in rugby circles this season after RNZ revealed Marlborough Boys' College, one of the top rugby schools in the South Island, had five Year 14s in its line-up this year. SSNZ chairperson and principal of Shirley Boys' High School Tim Grocott said it is hoped the proposed rule changes, which would also include new anti-poaching measures, would address many longstanding challenges in secondary school sport. 'What we're really saying is that we're wanting greater integrity, greater fairness, and greater consistency across competitions,' said Grocott. 'Where that integrity piece fits really clearly is at the championship level. So at that top tier of competition, we're wanting to see as best as possible a level playing field existing.' Tim Grocott, principal of Shirley Boys' High School, says other principals may have said "we don't think that's right" if they'd known earlier about the number of Year 14s in the Marlborough Boys' team Photo / RNZ Niva Chittock Grocott said after receiving a strong mandate from principals to change the eligibility for the Maadi Cup earlier this year, there was a push to ensure the rules were consistent across all sports. 'Really what we want to do is re-emphasise that educational piece. Students are at school for their education, and the sport is a byproduct of that. 'If people want to come back for Year 14, then that's fine if it's for an educational purpose. It isn't for a sporting purpose.' Marlborough Boys' College principal Jarrod Dunn told RNZ last month his school did not set out to stack its rugby team with Year 14s to gain a competitive advantage. He said in previous years the school may have had 'one or two' students return for Year 14, but this year is an 'anomaly' in that they had a large cohort of eight students return to school because of the current social climate making it difficult for young people to find employment in the region. Dunn said he did not think it was fair to deny the Year 14 boys the opportunity to participate in all areas of school life. As is the case with rowing, the proposed rules would allow schools to apply for a dispensation to field a Year 14 athlete where there were 'valid educational grounds for a student's continued enrolment in Year 14'. It's understood schools would need to meet a strict set of criteria before a dispensation could be granted. Three schools applied for an exemption to field a Year 14 student at this year's Maadi Regatta at Lake Kārapiro – all three were declined. 'Poaching' and home school competitor rules The proposed changes also include updated guidelines on student transfers, poaching, composite teams and dispensations. Under the new rules, the definition of poaching has been strengthened to 'include any act of influencing, encouraging or approaching a student to transfer to another school for the purposes of sport participation', whether directly or indirectly through a third party. Grocott said the 'new to school' rules have also been tightened to introduce a new transfer process. If a student wants to compete in a championship level event for a new school, statutory declarations must be signed by the transferring student, their caregivers and the principal of the new school. 'We're wanting to clamp down on those behaviours around influencing, encouraging, approaching, and providing inducements for students to move from one school to another,' he said. 'It flies in the face of that educational piece that we're wanting to see.' However, the summary document released to principals on Tuesday did not include proposed rules for home-school students. Currently, School Sport NZ rules allow students who are home-schooled to compete in secondary school events, but they are not eligible to win medals or titles. The issue was thrust into the spotlight in April this year when Tauranga mountain-biker Amelia Twiss placed second in the North Island Secondary Schools championships, but was denied a medal. 'The board is still considering how best to include [home school students], and once a recommended approach is confirmed, it will be consulted on separately and incorporated into the final draft where appropriate,' the document stated. The consultation period for the draft regulations closes on September 12. SSNZ chief executive Mike Summerell said input from schools would be critical in shaping the final version of the regulations. The new regulations would apply to all SSNZ-sanctioned events from January 1, 2026.
RNZ News
29-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Blanket ban on ‘Year 14s' in school sport proposed in new eligibility rules
Marlborough Boys' College has five year 14 students in its first XV rugby team this season. Photo: Chris Symes / The controversial practice of Year 14 students competing in secondary school sports events will be banned under proposed new eligibility rules. School Sport NZ (SSNZ) on Wednesday released its draft eligibility rules following a lengthy review. Among the key proposed rule changes is a blanket ban on students returning for a sixth year of high school - known as year 14s - from competing in SSNZ sanctioned events. The year 14 issue has been the subject of debate within top-flight secondary school events for decades, with critics claiming the practice stokes a "win at all costs" attitude. The debate came to a head in high school rowing earlier this year when a group of high school principals banded together to force a vote on the eligibility rules for the Maadi Regatta. The schools overwhelmingly voted in favour of a rule change banning year 14 rowers from competing in the prestigious event. The issue has also been fiercely debated in rugby circles this season after RNZ revealed Marlborough Boys' College, one of the top rugby schools in the South Island, had five year 14s in its line-up this year . SSNZ chairperson and principal of Shirley Boys' High School Tim Grocott said it is hoped the proposed rule changes, which would also include new anti-poaching measures, would address many longstanding challenges in secondary school sport. "What we're really saying is that we're wanting greater integrity, greater fairness, and greater consistency across competitions," said Grocott. "Where that integrity piece fits really clearly is at the championship level. So at that top tier of competition, we're wanting to see as best as possible a level playing field existing." Grocott said after receiving a strong mandate from principals to change the eligibility for the Maadi Cup earlier this year, there was a push to ensure the rules were consistent across all sports. "Really what we want to do is re-emphasise that educational piece. Students are at school for their education, and the sport is a byproduct of that. "If people want to come back for year 14, then that's fine if it's for an educational purpose. It isn't for a sporting purpose." Marlborough Boys' College principal Jarrod Dunn told RNZ last month his school did not set out to stack its rugby team with year 14s to gain a competitive advantage. He said in previous years the school may have had "one or two" students return for year 14, but this year is an "anomaly" in that they had a large cohort of eight students return to school due to the current social climate making it difficult for young people to find employment in the region. Dunn said he did not think it was fair to deny the year 14 boys the opportunity to participate in all areas of school life. As is the case with rowing, the proposed rules would allow schools to apply for a dispensation to field a year 14 athlete where there were "valid educational grounds for a student's continued enrolment in year 14". It's understood schools would need to meet a strict set of criteria before a dispensation could be granted. Three schools applied for an exemption to field a year 14 student at this year's Maadi Regatta at Lake Kārapiro - all three were declined . Shirley Boys' High School headmaster Tim Grocott said the new eligibility rules are aimed at levelling the playing field in high school sport. Photo: RNZ / Niva Chittock The proposed changes also include updated guidelines on student transfers, poaching, composite teams, and dispensations. Under the new rules, the definition of poaching has been strengthened to "include any act of influencing, encouraging or approaching a student to transfer to another school for the purposes of sport participation", whether directly or indirectly through a third party. Grocott said the "new to school" rules have also been tightened to introduce a new transfer process. If a student wants to compete in a championship level event for a new school, statutory declarations must be signed by the transferring student, their caregivers and the principal of the new school. "We're wanting to clamp down on those behaviours around influencing, encouraging, approaching, and providing inducements for students to move from one school to another," he said. "It flies in the face of that educational piece that we're wanting to see." However, the summary document released to principals on Tuesday did not include proposed rules for home school students. Currently, School Sport NZ rules allow students that are home schooled to compete in secondary school events, but they are not eligible to win medals or titles. The issue was thrust into the spotlight in April this year when Tauranga mountain-biker Amelia Twiss placed second in the North Island Secondary Schools championships, but was denied a medal. "The board is still considering how best to include [home school students], and once a recommended approach is confirmed, it will be consulted on separately and incorporated into the final draft where appropriate," the document stated. The consultation period for the draft regulations closes on 12 September. SSNZ chief executive Mike Summerell said input from schools would be critical in shaping the final version of the regulations. The new regulations would apply to all SSNZ-sanctioned events from 1 January 2026. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
South Wales Guardian
03-07-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
House of Lords votes to block expulsion of hereditary peers
Peers supported by 280 votes to 243, majority 37, an amendment to the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill that would instead see a gradual reduction of bloodline peers. The amendment, put forward by shadow culture minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, would abolish the aristocratic by-elections, meaning the number of hereditary peers would decrease as individuals die or retire. There are currently 92 seats reserved for members of the Lords who are there by right of birth, but there are only 86 currently sitting. This is because by-elections were suspended after Labour won the election last year and six hereditary peers have left the House since then by death, retirement or moving on. Lord Parkinson argued that current sitting hereditary peers have 'served here with distinction and, in many cases, with more conspicuous industry than those who have been appointed'. He told peers: 'I hope, through this modest amendment, we can applaud their diligence and their public service and seek to harness it for the benefit of the nation for a while longer.' There have been numerous attempts to end the hereditary by-elections since their inception 26 years ago, including from Labour peer Lord Grocott. Lord Parkinson said: 'The formulation he (Lord Grocott) has proposed in every parliamentary session since 2016, apart from this one, is exactly the same as the one we advance today. 'Just as with peers who proposed private bills under the last Labour government, he has found it difficult to make progress with his bills under Conservative governments.' However, he said: 'On this, we give in… We yield to the mandate that they've won at the ballot box and take it at their word that further reform will follow.' The Tory frontbencher concluded that, in return, he asks for 'clemency and generosity' to those hereditary peers currently sitting in the Lords to allow them to remain for the rest of their life if they wish. Meanwhile, Lord Groccot said: 'I'm finding it difficult to compute exactly what's going on today because Friday after Friday, bill after bill, to a three-quarters empty House, I have been faced with substantial opposition, not just from individual members – not exclusively from the Tory Party, but overwhelmingly – but also from the Government, and the bill's got no further. 'And here we are now with a pretty full House all agreed that these by-elections are farcical.' He said his motive in bringing forward his bills were to 'stop this absurdity' and lamented that 'time and time again' his bills were rejected and filibustered. Lord Grocott said he had thought that no-one in the upper chamber could think a by-election to get into the House should be exclusively for men, or that it is feasible to have 'an electorate of three when you've got seven candidates'. The Labour peer added: 'I'm flattered, I suppose, to find that suddenly everyone seems to be agreed on this. We could have saved ourselves so much time when I brought this in first in 2016.' However, he said he prefers plans to expel the hereditary peers over ending the by-elections because it's 'better' and 'does the job more effectively', allowing the conversation to move on to further reform. Lord Grocott concluded: 'Thank heavens that we are removing the hereditary principle as a mechanism for membership of this House. It's long, long, long overdue. 'It could have been dealt with much earlier, but let's not cry over spilt milk, let's just get on with this and get on with it quickly.' Leader of the House of Lords Baroness Smith of Basildon said she is sure the Tories 'regret' not taking up her offer to ensure Lord Grocott's bill passed through the House. She said: 'We could have done that and that opportunity was lost. It's a shame it was lost, but that's where we are now. We now are debating a manifesto commitment from the Labour Party… 'The principle of this was established 25 years ago that the hereditary principle would not be a route into this House. 'That does not decry any individual member who's arrived by that route, but the time has come to an end.' It is expected that the House of Commons will reject this amendment to the Bill. Before the vote, former senior diplomat Lord Kerr of Kinlochard warned that ping-pong between the two Houses would be 'poison' and 'disastrous' for the image of the Lords. Later, peers rejected a move by the Liberal Democrats that would have forced the Government to bring forward proposals for an elected House of Lords. The bid to secure 'a democratic mandate' for the upper chamber was defeated by 263 votes to 84, majority 179.
Leader Live
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
House of Lords votes to block expulsion of hereditary peers
Peers supported by 280 votes to 243, majority 37, an amendment to the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill that would instead see a gradual reduction of bloodline peers. The amendment, put forward by shadow culture minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, would abolish the aristocratic by-elections, meaning the number of hereditary peers would decrease as individuals die or retire. There are currently 92 seats reserved for members of the Lords who are there by right of birth, but there are only 86 currently sitting. This is because by-elections were suspended after Labour won the election last year and six hereditary peers have left the House since then by death, retirement or moving on. Lord Parkinson argued that current sitting hereditary peers have 'served here with distinction and, in many cases, with more conspicuous industry than those who have been appointed'. He told peers: 'I hope, through this modest amendment, we can applaud their diligence and their public service and seek to harness it for the benefit of the nation for a while longer.' There have been numerous attempts to end the hereditary by-elections since their inception 26 years ago, including from Labour peer Lord Grocott. Lord Parkinson said: 'The formulation he (Lord Grocott) has proposed in every parliamentary session since 2016, apart from this one, is exactly the same as the one we advance today. 'Just as with peers who proposed private bills under the last Labour government, he has found it difficult to make progress with his bills under Conservative governments.' However, he said: 'On this, we give in… We yield to the mandate that they've won at the ballot box and take it at their word that further reform will follow.' The Tory frontbencher concluded that, in return, he asks for 'clemency and generosity' to those hereditary peers currently sitting in the Lords to allow them to remain for the rest of their life if they wish. Meanwhile, Lord Groccot said: 'I'm finding it difficult to compute exactly what's going on today because Friday after Friday, bill after bill, to a three-quarters empty House, I have been faced with substantial opposition, not just from individual members – not exclusively from the Tory Party, but overwhelmingly – but also from the Government, and the bill's got no further. 'And here we are now with a pretty full House all agreed that these by-elections are farcical.' He said his motive in bringing forward his bills were to 'stop this absurdity' and lamented that 'time and time again' his bills were rejected and filibustered. Lord Grocott said he had thought that no-one in the upper chamber could think a by-election to get into the House should be exclusively for men, or that it is feasible to have 'an electorate of three when you've got seven candidates'. The Labour peer added: 'I'm flattered, I suppose, to find that suddenly everyone seems to be agreed on this. We could have saved ourselves so much time when I brought this in first in 2016.' However, he said he prefers plans to expel the hereditary peers over ending the by-elections because it's 'better' and 'does the job more effectively', allowing the conversation to move on to further reform. Lord Grocott concluded: 'Thank heavens that we are removing the hereditary principle as a mechanism for membership of this House. It's long, long, long overdue. 'It could have been dealt with much earlier, but let's not cry over spilt milk, let's just get on with this and get on with it quickly.' Leader of the House of Lords Baroness Smith of Basildon said she is sure the Tories 'regret' not taking up her offer to ensure Lord Grocott's bill passed through the House. She said: 'We could have done that and that opportunity was lost. It's a shame it was lost, but that's where we are now. We now are debating a manifesto commitment from the Labour Party… 'The principle of this was established 25 years ago that the hereditary principle would not be a route into this House. 'That does not decry any individual member who's arrived by that route, but the time has come to an end.' It is expected that the House of Commons will reject this amendment to the Bill. Before the vote, former senior diplomat Lord Kerr of Kinlochard warned that ping-pong between the two Houses would be 'poison' and 'disastrous' for the image of the Lords. Later, peers rejected a move by the Liberal Democrats that would have forced the Government to bring forward proposals for an elected House of Lords. The bid to secure 'a democratic mandate' for the upper chamber was defeated by 263 votes to 84, majority 179.
