Latest news with #eligibility
RNZ News
12 hours ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Netball NZ wants World Netball to change international eligibility rules
Silver Ferns run onto court at the 2023 Netball World Cup. Photo: Christiaan Kotze/C&C Photo Agency / Photosport Netball New Zealand wants World Netball to amend its strict eligibility criteria, which prevents players representing two different countries at consecutive world cups. It's proposing that players should be able to compete in a World Cup for a tier two (lower ranked nation) without it impacting on their ability to then play for a tier one nation, that they are otherwise eligible for through citizenship or residency. The line between tier one and two nations would need to be determined but lower ranked countries in the Pacific, for example, like Samoa, Fiji and the Cook Islands, would no doubt fall under tier two. The current eligiblity rule also applies to Youth World Cups. In September this year the Netball World Youth Cup is taking place in Gibraltar. Any player who competes in the tournament will be locked out from competing for any other country for four years even if they have dual citizenship. But the national body thinks a player who is eligible for Samoa and New Zealand for example should be allowed to play in the World Youth Cup for Samoa but still be eligible to play for New Zealand post that event. "It's around representing your home country or country where you've got those cultural ties to but if you ultimately have desires to represent an Australia or a New Zealand, or an England - maybe representing your home nation shouldn't preclude you from doing that," said head of high performance Stephen Hotter. World Netball tightened up eligibility rules in the mid 2000s after prolific South Africa goal shoot Irene van Dyk and Fijian goal keep Vilimaina Davu were snatched up by the Silver Ferns not long after moving to New Zealand. Both were vital to the Silver Ferns winning the 2003 World Cup and had represented their home nations at the 1999 World Cup. The most high profile player to be affected by the existing rule was New Zealand born Cathrine Tuivaiti (née Latu), who also has Samoan and Tongan ancestry. Cathrine Tuivaiti had to go through a four-year stand down before she could play for the Silver Ferns. Photo: PHOTOSPORT Tuivaiti represented Samoa at the 2007 Netball World Cup. She then had to complete a four year stand-down from international netball to become eligible to play for the Silver Ferns. Netball New Zealand went all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to try to get her in the team for the 2011 World Cup but world sport's top judicial body rejected its bid. NNZs proposal is on the agenda to be discussed at next month's World Netball Congress. Hotter said with the Youth World Cup on the horizon, it brought the issue into focus. "That's the initial consideration, if we use that as an example - if they play for one country at the Youth World Cup they are then captured by that country for four years, that is until the conclusion of the next World Cup and so it's really just trying to explore flexibility around that," Hotter said. "Where they've got significant family or cultural ties, so it's the Pasifika players that we're considering here. And if there's some flexibility or at least some discussion around what that could look like to make the model slightly different then we propose that that discussion should be had. "There's been instances in the past where players have been locked into a certain country for a period of time even though they are eligible for another country and they want to explore representing them. "I think if there was a change in the rules it would enable some of the lower ranked nations to field more competitive teams which ultimately helps the competitive nature of any tournament but it also doesn't necessarily lock a 20-year-old into a country for four years, which can be a tough decision for a young adult to make." Serina Daunakamakama. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2025 A number of talented young players with Pasifika heritage are coming through the pathways in New Zealand. Stars defender Lili Tokaduadua could become eligible to play for New Zealand once she has lived in Aotearoa long enough to meet residency requirements under World Netball criteria. But if she played for her birth nation of Fiji at the Youth World Cup later this year, she would have to stand-down for four years before representing another country. The New Zealand Under 21 team to compete at the Youth World Cup in September is yet to be finalised. Steel midcourter Serina Daunakamakama, who was born in Fiji but moved to New Zealand with her family when she was young, is in the wider NZU21 squad. Former Silver Fern Linda Vagana played 64 tests for New Zealand between 1993 and 2002, before captaining Samoa at the end of her career. The Auckland-born defender later coached Samoa, her country of heritage. Vagana said dual heritage exists for many Pasifika peoples. "Our Pasifika peoples living abroad include individuals of first and second-generation, and that continues to grow. Many of our Pasifika people migrate to countries like Australia and New Zealand for better opportunities, education, employment and much more," Vagana said. She said changes to the rules should also apply in the other direction so that if someone played for a high ranked team at a World Cup, they should then be able to play for a lower ranked country which they had ties to. "If top ranked countries can benefit from having access to these players, it should also go the other way. With stronger squads, Pacific nations have a chance to would become more competitive and makes for greater diversity and excitement. We only need to look at how rugby is evolving with the greater opportunities to uplift Pasifika nations." Linda Vagana playing for the Silver Ferns in 2000. Photo: PHOTOSPORT Vagana played for the Silver Ferns at the 1999 World Cup and then played for Samoa at the 2003 World Cup before the rules were tightened. She said the existing rules meant young netballers were forced into having to make tough decisions. "Many players feel a strong connection to their Pacific roots but are forced to choose one nation permanently. "Some players won't make themselves available because they're afraid of jeopardising future opportunities to play for countries like New Zealand or Australia. The reality is, even if they wait, there's no guarantee they'll be selected and in the end, they might not represent any country at all. "Opportunities are taken away from them because they only have one option - whether to get on the New Zealand pathway for example, which is a massive pull, or play for a Pacific nation and then miss out on New Zealand later." She said World Netball should change the rules to help lower ranked teams be more competitive. "They've fallen short in their strategies to grow, engage, and inspire … if the sport is to truly expand globally, we need to keep more elite players active internationally. Just imagine how much more competitive the sport could become - Pacific nations would be significantly stronger on the world stage if they had access to their top talent. "It would help level the disparities in top-tier competition and resource allocation and promote greater global equity and inclusion within netball." Vagana said she had been encouraged by watching more Pasifika talent coming through the Australian pathways and she hoped Australia would support a rule change. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
GHSA sets new rules for families of high school athletes who transfer
GHSA sets new rules for families of high school athletes who transfer The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) is updating its transfer rule. The change will affect student athletes who move during high school. There will now be a lot more documents needed to show that the family has actually moved. Advertisement The change is an attempt to prevent students from moving to different schools just to play on a different team. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] If a student transfers, the family needs to provide a driver's license with the updated address, documents that show that the entire family has moved, proof that the lease has ended or their house is for sale, and they need to provide a change of address to their employer, the U.S. post office, and other government agencies. If those requirements aren't met, the student athlete would have to sit out one year. Families can appeal if the student is denied eligibility. Advertisement The rule update hasn't been officially approved yet. GHSA will vote on the update in early July. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
The Guardian
30-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Imane Khelif must undergo mandatory sex testing to compete, World Boxing says
Imane Khelif must undergo what World Boxing describes as 'mandatory sex testing' if she wishes to compete in any women's event organised or sanctioned by the governing body. Gender-row boxer Khelif won gold in the women's 66kg category at last summer's Olympic Games, having been cleared to compete despite being disqualified from the 2023 World Championships organised by the International Boxing Association for allegedly failing to meet eligibility criteria. World Boxing announced on Friday it was introducing the testing 'to determine the eligibility of male and female athletes that want to take part in its competitions'. The body – which will oversee boxing at the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 – said it had written to the Algerian boxing federation to say that until Khelif had undergone the test, she would not be able to compete in next month's Eindhoven Box Cup or any other women's event under its authority. World Boxing said it was introducing the rules as part of a new policy on sex, age and weight 'to ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women'. The letter stated that in the event of a challenge by the federation or by World Boxing to Khelif's sex certification, Khelif would remain ineligible to compete until the dispute was resolved. Speaking to ITV News in March about the row over her involvement at the Olympics, Khelif said: 'I see myself as a girl, just like any other girl. I was born a girl, raised as a girl and have lived my entire life as one. 'I have competed in many tournaments, including the Tokyo Olympics and other major competitions, as well as four World Championships. All of these took place before I started winning and earning titles. But once I began achieving success, the campaigns against me started.' All athletes over 18 wishing to compete in a World Boxing owned or sanctioned event will need to undergo a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) genetic test to determine their sex at birth and their eligibility to compete. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Athletes deemed to be male at birth, as evidenced by the presence of Y chromosome genetic material (the SRY gene) or with a difference of sexual development (DSD) where male androgenisation occurs, will be eligible to compete in the male category, World Boxing said.
Reuters
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Vols' Zakai Zeigler sues for fifth year of eligibility, citing NIL pay
May 21 - Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler is suing the NCAA for another year of eligibility, claiming he could lose up to $4 million in NIL money if he isn't allowed to play in 2025-26. Zeigler's lawsuit requests a preliminary injunction allowing him to play a fifth season and arguing he will suffer irreparable harm without immediate relief, with schools currently finalizing rosters and settling NIL deals. According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Zeigler's lawsuit challenges the NCAA's redshirt rule in which players are allowed to play a fifth year if they sit out a year of competition. Zeigler played four consecutive seasons for the Volunteers from 2021-22 through 2024-25. He argues that he should get be allowed a fifth year of eligibility and its earning potential instead of being punished for not taking a redshirt year, per the News Sentinel. "All NCAA athletes should be eligible to compete and earn NIL compensation during each year of the five-year window -- not just those selected to redshirt," the court filings state. Zeigler filed his suit in the Eastern District of Tennessee. In it, he claims he could make between $2 million and $4 million in name, image and likeness money in 2025-26 after making $500,000 in 2024-25. The lawsuit calls a fifth year "the most lucrative year of the eligibility window for the vast majority of athletes." Zeigler set the Tennessee career records for assists (747) and steals (251). The three-time All-SEC pick and two-time league defensive player of the year averaged 11.3 points, 5.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 138 career games (83 starts). He graduated this month from Tenneseee and plans to pursue a graduate degree. --Field Level Media
New York Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Former Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler suing NCAA for a fifth year of eligibility
Former Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler is suing the NCAA for a fifth year of eligibility, claiming he could earn up to $4 million next year after making $500,000 in his senior season with the Vols. Zeigler's case could have massive ramifications for the sport. It differs from other recent lawsuits challenging eligibility rules in that there are no special circumstances for Zeigler, such as Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia's successful suit to gain another year of play because a court ruled his time in junior college should not count against eligibility. The judge ruled that it violated antitrust law. Advertisement Zeigler is simply asking for a fifth year of eligibility in five years, essentially challenging current redshirt rules that allow an athlete to play four years in a five-year span. Zeigler's representation, Litson PLLC and Garza Law Firm, said in a statement Tuesday that 'the NCAA's rule permitting only four seasons of competition within the five-year eligibility window is an unlawful restraint of trade under federal and state antitrust laws.' The lawsuit claims the fifth year of eligibility is the most lucrative for 'the vast majority of athletes' and that Zeigler will suffer irreparable harm without an immediate injunction allowing him to compete in 2025-26, since schools are finalizing their rosters now. Zeigler intends to pursue a graduate degree after graduating this month from Tennessee with a degree in retail and merchandising management. The lawsuit points out that Zeigler's class is the first in the era of name, image and likeness compensation for athletes that has not been granted an extra year. Classes that entered school between 2016 and 2020 all got the extra year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 'With athletes now paid significant amounts by schools explicitly tied to their participation in athletics, NCAA eligibility rules restrict how long they can sell their labor,' Mit Winter, a college athletics attorney, posted on X. 'If (Zeigler is) successful, that would give every (Division I) athlete who played four seasons in four years another year to play. Would be a lot of athletes with another available season of competition.' The 5-foot-9 Zeigler, a last-minute addition to coach Rick Barnes' 2021 recruiting class, blew past expectations immediately and had a legendary four-year career. He led the Vols to two of the three Elite Eights in program history and is Tennessee's all-time leader in assists (747), which ranks third in SEC history. Advertisement He's the only player in SEC history to be named to the all-defensive team four times and was a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year. He was on the All-SEC first team as a junior and senior, averaging 13.6 points and 7.4 assists in his final season. He was also a fan favorite, and when his family's home in New York burned down when he was a sophomore, UT fans raised more than $360,000 via GoFundMe. Now he seeks another season. If he wins, it would have a huge impact on college athletics in the 2025-26 school year and expedite a development some in the industry have seen as inevitable — five seasons of eligibility for all college athletes.
