Subject:Recommendations from National Tournament Review

To:NZU Board

From: National Tournament Review Group

Date:December 2015

Subject:Recommendations from National Tournament Review

Executive Summary

The purpose of the National Tournament Review Group was to conduct a review and make recommendations to the New Zealand Ultimate board regarding the structure, location and timing of national tournaments, in order to inform the New Zealand Ultimate National Tournaments Policy. All national tournaments on the NZU calendar come under the scope of this review.

The NTRG report to the NZU Board is to be released to the NZ Ultimate Community for further community feedback before a final Board decision in February.

Note: During the review, the Manawatu Ultimate Association asked that the New Zealand Indoor Ultimate Championships be excluded from the scope of this review as they take the position that MUA own this tournament. New Zealand Ultimate have taken the decision to release the report for community feedback as planned and will continue discussions with MUA regarding this situation.

The National Tournament Review Group makes the following recommendations:

Recommendation 1:

That the following events form the National Tournament Event Calendar

Series (Men’s and Women’s)
NZ Ultimate Championships (Men’s and Women’s Divisions)
NZ Mixed Ultimate Championships (Mixed Division)
NZ Secondary School Ultimate Championships (Open and Women’s Divisions)
South Island Secondary School Ultimate Championships (Open and Women’s Division)
New Zealand Youth Ultimate Championships (Men’s and Women’s Divisions)
New Zealand Indoor Ultimate Championships (Mixed Division)
New Zealand University Ultimate Championships (Mixed Division)

Recommendation 2:

That the timings of each event remain constant each year (as much as this can be achieved around field availability) based on the following:

SeriesDecember through March
NZUCLast weekend in March (avoiding NZSSUC and Easter)
NZMUCMid-November (avoiding uni exams)
NZSSUCMonday/Tuesday of NZSSSC Tournament Week
SISSUCMonday/Tuesday of NZSSSC Tournament Week
NZYUCLast weekend of April school holidays
NZIUCMid-September
NZUUCMid-Semester Break in Semester 2 (Common to most Unis)

Recommendation 3:

That the location (city) for each event remain constant for a three year period except for the New Zealand University Ultimate Championships, which will be allocated annually via a bid system.

Recommendation 4:

That most events are organised through a partnership between New Zealand Ultimate and a local organisation and the Youth events are organised by New Zealand Ultimate directly.

For the Series events, the Local Organisation will own and organise the specific event and will be sanctioned as part of the series by NZU.
For the following events – NZUC, NZMUC, NZIUC and NZUUC – New Zealand Ultimate will own the event and partner with a Local Organisation to deliver the event.
For the following events – NZSSUC, SISSUC and NZYUC – New Zealand Ultimate will own the events and deliver them directly through the NZU Schools Committee and NZ Youth High Performance Department respectively

Recommendation 5:

That the venues and host Local Organisations be selected via a bid system based on bidding to host an event for a period of three years. The school and youth tournaments which will continue to be run by New Zealand Ultimate as indicated above. The initial bid process would cover the following seasons:

2016/2017

2017/2018

2018/2019

Recommendation 6:

That the financial arrangements for the tournaments be set as follows:

Series

Local Organisation owns and deliver the event. Local Organisation assumes the financial risk of the event, but retains any surplus from tournament income. Local Organisation collects the NZU Membership Levy on NZU’s behalf and passes this on at the conclusion of the event. A restriction is put in place through a Memorandum of Understanding to ensure that tournament costs for the sanctioned events are not unreasonable.

NZUC, NZMUC, NZIUC, NZUUC

NZU owns the tournament and partners with a Local Organisation to deliver the event. New Zealand Ultimate assumes the financial risk. A small budgeted surplus is retained by the Local Organisation. Any additional surplus above an agreed amount from player fees (achieved through larger-than-expected attendance or reductions in costs) to be passed to New Zealand Ultimate. Any sponsorship income achieved to go to the corresponding organisation (ie National sponsorship income to New Zealand Ultimate while local sponsorships benefit the local organisation). NZU Membership Levy is also collected at these events.

NZSSUC, SISSUC and NZYUC

NZU owns and delivers these events. NZU assumes the financial risk and retains all surplus from income. NZU Membership Levy is also collected at these events.

Recommendation 7:

That the New Zealand Secondary School and South Island Secondary School Ultimate Championships are sanctioned by the New Zealand Secondary School Sports Council and held during the summer tournament week each year.

Recommendation 8:

That the New Zealand University Ultimate Championships be aligned (and sanctioned if necessary) by the new University Sports Organisation being formed and that this event forms part of their proposed inter-Tertiary Organisation Sports Competition.

National Tournament Review Group Report

Purpose

In making the recommendations below, the committee was guided by the following principles:

The purpose of the NZU National Tournaments Policy is “to create a sustainable and clear national competition structure that serves the needs of athletes in the ‘Perform’ pathway with clear guidelines as to the timing, venue, hosting and financial arrangements of the tournaments”;
The recommendations must be financially sustainable both for New Zealand Ultimate and for other parties involved in hosting tournaments;
The recommendations must be logistically realistic and sustainable;
National tournaments should be reasonably accessible to athletes from around New Zealand, in both logistic and financial terms;
National tournaments should provide the best possible playing experience for participants;
The recommendations should have broad support within the New Zealand ultimate community.

Composition

The National Tournament Review Group consisted of the following people:

Craig MorganElly White

Hamish FurnissIain Stewart

Meg NicollNate Moore

Nick PannuRichard Fernando

Sally WestSimon Verschaffelt

Simon Weeks

Process

The committee sought feedback from the community through a variety of methods including written submissions, open forums and in-person discussions. The committee discussed a variety of options and agreed on a number of principles which informed a series of recommendations. These recommendations are outlined below.

Recommendations:

Recommendation 1:

That the following events form the National Tournament Event Calendar

Series (Men’s and Women’s)
NZ Ultimate Championships (Men’s and Women’s Divisions)
NZ Mixed Ultimate Championships (Mixed Division)
NZ Secondary School Ultimate Championships (Open and Women’s Divisions)
South Island Secondary School Ultimate Championships (Open and Women’s Division)
New Zealand Youth Ultimate Championships (Men’s and Women’s Divisions)
New Zealand Indoor Ultimate Championships (Mixed Division)
New Zealand University Ultimate Championships (Mixed Division)

The six current national championship events are important events at various age groups and divisions. The addition of a series of regional events will cater for the expressed desire from the community for more high-level events catering to the ‘Perform’ pathway. The series offers a flexible tournament structure where these events can be used as competitive events now, but also as qualifying events for nationals in the future, or split into Tier 1 and Tier 2 competitions to allow for different levels of teams.

Recommendation 2:

That the timings of each event remain constant each year (as much as this can be achieved around field availability) based on the following:

SeriesDecember through March
NZUCLast weekend in March (avoiding NZSSUC and Easter)
NZMUCMid-November (avoiding uni exams)
NZSSUCMonday/Tuesday of NZSSSC Tournament Week
SISSUCMonday/Tuesday of NZSSSC Tournament Week
NZYUCLast weekend of April school holidays
NZIUCMid-September
NZUUCMid-Semester Break in Semester 2 (Common to most Unis)

The community expressed a strong desire for consistency to enable future planning of teams’ and clubs’ seasons. There is still strong support to retain a separate mixed and men’s/women’s tournament. The schools tournament timing is dictated by the New Zealand Secondary School Sports Council through the national summer Tournament Week.

Recommendation 3:

That the location (city) for each event remain constant for a three year period except for the New Zealand University Ultimate Championships, which will be allocated annually via a bid system.

Holding each event in the same location for a number of years will enable better planning and see better events as organisers are able to build on previous year’s events. It should also help to secure good venues with the ability to book consistently on the same weekend for several years in a row. Events are most likely to be held in the main centres, which will reduce the issues arising from accessibility given tournaments are constantly in one location.

The University nationals will be run through an annual bid system, which fits better with what the Universities themselves are planning with a new plan for University Sport.

Recommendation 4:

That most events are organised through a partnership between New Zealand Ultimate and a local organisation and the Youth events are organised by New Zealand Ultimate directly.

For the Series events, the Local Organisation will own and organise the specific event and will be sanctioned as part of the series by NZU.
For the following events – NZUC, NZMUC, NZIUC and NZUUC – New Zealand Ultimate will own the event and partner with a Local Organisation to deliver the event.
For the following events – NZSSUC, SISSUC and NZYUC – New Zealand Ultimate will own the events and deliver them directly through the NZU Schools Committee and NZ Youth High Performance Department respectively

Each tournament has a clear ownership and model for its organisation. Partnering with local organisations gives better access to volunteers and more ownership from the local community. As events are organised annually by the same group, the knowledge created in organising the event is retained. These factors will lead to better events. New Zealand Ultimate will continue to deliver youth events directly using the currently successful model.

Recommendation 5:

2016/2017
2017/2018
2018/2019

New Zealand Ultimate will look to partner with keen and capable local organisations to ensure good quality events.

Recommendation 6:

That the financial arrangements for the tournaments be set as follows:

Series

NZUC, NZMUC, NZIUC, NZUUC

NZSSUC, SISSUC and NZYUC

NZU owns and delivers these events. NZU assumes the financial risk and retains all surplus from income. NZU Membership Levy is also collected at these events.

A clear financial model is used to ensure that Local Organisations benefit from hosting events, but that costs are still kept reasonable and player fees are not spent on unnecessary expenses.

Recommendation 7:

It is imperative that these events are correctly sanctioned by the national organisation in responsible for school sport.

Recommendation 8:

It is important to the visibility and legitimacy of the event that the Universities support the Ultimate tournament as part of any future University Sport Championship.

Signed – Review Group

Craig Morgan, Elly White, Hamish Furniss, Iain Stewart, Meg Nicoll, Nate Moore, Nick Pannu,

Richard Fernando, Sally West, Simon Weeks

Attachments:

1: Summary of Events

2: Possible Tournament Calendar 2016 – 2019

Series / NZUC / NZMUC / NZSSUC
SISSUC / NZYUC / NZUUC / NZIUC
Description / 3 x Men/Women’s tournaments held over summer. / National Championship event in the Men’s and Women’s division. / National Championship event in the Mixed Division / Tournament for Secondary School teams
(Standard 5v5 school rules in Open and Women’s divisions) / Regional based teams at Youth level.
(Standard 7v7 rules in Men’s and Women’s divisions) / National Championship for Tertiary Institutions
(Mixed Division) / National Championship for Indoor Ultimate
(Mixed Division)
Timing / Three events between December and March / End of March/Beginning of April / Mid-Late November / Monday and Tuesday of Summer Tournament Week as set by NZSSSC / Last weekend of April School Holidays / Dates around the most common mid-semester break for all Universities / Late September
Example Only:
2017:21-22 Jan
11-12 Feb
11-12 Mar
2018:27-28 Jan
17-18 Feb
10-11 Mar / 2017: 1-2 Apr
2018: 24-25 Mar
2019:30-31 Mar / 2016: 19-20 Nov
2017:18-19 Nov
2018:17-18 Nov
2019:16-17 Nov / 2016:4-5 April
2017:27-28 Mar
2018:TBC
2019:TBC / 2016:30-1 Apr
2017:29-30 Apr
2018:TBC
2019:TBC / Example Only
27-28 August / 2016:10-11 Sep
2017:9-10 Sep
2018:8-9 Sep
2019:14-15 Sep
Venue / Each event held in one place for full three year bid cycle.
Actual venues to be decided through bid system. / Tournament held in one place for full three year bid cycle.
Actual venue to be decided through bid system. / Tournament held in one place for full three year bid cycle.
Actual venue to be decided through bid system. / NZSSUC to be held annually in Taupo.
SISSUC to be held annually in Christchurch. / NZSSUC to be held annually in Taupo. / Venue to be decided annually through a bid system. / Tournament held in one place for full three year bid cycle.
Actual venue to be decided through bid system.
Organiser / Regional Body, Club or local organising committee supported by Regional Body or Club. / Regional Body, Club or local organising committee supported by Regional Body or Club. / Regional Body, Club or local organising committee supported by Regional Body or Club. / New Zealand Ultimate through local tournament organising committee / New Zealand Ultimate through the Youth High Performance Manager and Regional Youth High Performance network. / Local University Ultimate Club supported by local University. / Regional Body, Club or local organising committee supported by Regional Body or Club.
Financial Arrangements / Tournament organisers to collect NZU levy on their behalf.
Tournament surplus to go to local organising body. Restriction in MOU to keep costs reasonable. / Tournament organisers to collect NZU levy on their behalf.
Tournament surplus to go to local organising body up to a set amount. Any additional surplus to NZU. / Tournament organisers to collect NZU levy on their behalf.
Tournament surplus to go to local organising body up to an agreed amount. Any additional surplus to NZU. / NZU levy collected.
Tournament surplus to go to NZU. / NZU Levy collected.
Tournament surplus to go to NZU / Tournament organisers to collect NZU levy on their behalf.
Tournament surplus to go to local organising body up to an agreed amount. Any additional surplus to NZU. / Tournament organisers to collect NZU levy on their behalf.
Tournament surplus to go to local organising body up to an agreed amount. Any additional surplus to NZU.
Comments / We can’t schedule this tournament past 2017 due to the Ministry of Education not releasing school term dates yet. / We can’t schedule this tournament past 2017 due to the Ministry of Education not releasing school term dates yet. / Open to all tertiary institutes.
NZ Universities are organising a national competition for all university sport. This event will tie-in with this new competition so this may mean change of venue or timing to fit with this.