The New Zealand Polocrosse Board has held six meetings since the June 2007 Board Update. These meetings have been held in various locations to coincide with other Polocrosse events, be a central meeting place or to allow for the Board to meet with various outside people – this has seen meetings take place in Taumarunui (x2), Wellington (x2), Palmerston North and Turangi. Board members have continued to attend SPARC seminars throughout the remainder of 2007 and have booked nine courses for 2008, for both Board members and other identified parties.

The 2007 Annual General Meeting of the New Zealand Polocrosse Council was held in Taumarunui on the 29th September 2007. As per the rules of New Zealand Polocrosse, three current Board members were due to retire at this meeting, with Lawrence Tye and Alastair Cumming being re-elected and a new comer – Kerrian Duff successfully being elected onto the Board. The Board informed the meeting, and later all members via a “Notices to Clubs”, that Ken Malcolm and Glenda Hughes would remain on the Board as appointed Board Members, on an annual basis, to provided advice and assistance as required. Robin Cave was re-elected as President / Chairperson of New Zealand Polocrosse at the first meeting following the AGM.
The Board recommended that the amended By-Laws, which were adopted in draft form at the 2006 AGM, remain in draft form and be played under for a further season before being adopted due to changes that may take place over the following season. This motion was carried unopposed by all present.
It was moved that the Sports Anti-Doping Rules made by Drug Free Sport New Zealand (DFS), would become the New Zealand Polocrosse Council’s Anti-Doping Rules from 1 July 2007 and would replace the existing New Zealand Polocrosse Council Drug Policy.

Following the AGM, a conference was held where general discussion took place on several items where all present were able to, and encouraged to, voice their views and opinions. The main item of discussion was the format for National Fixtures, with the recommendations that the Inter Association Championships and the Roke and Rockwood competition be held on alternative years, freeing up the playing calendar to allow other events and in particular assist international competition and more development squads. The Board supported this idea and this has seen the Inter Associations competition this year being replaced with a large Sponsors Carnival.

The International Polocrosse Council (IPC) held it’s meeting after the World Cup in Australia, with amendments to their rules being adopted as from the 30th April 2007.
There has been a lot of communication with the IPC over the last six months regarding changes to their constitution with votes having to be in by the 17th August 2007. The IPC also produced a “Business Plan” that was open for discussion with the results from the IPC attached to this Board Update.

Our association with SPARC remains firm, with New Zealand Polocrosse receiving funding from SPARC for the 2007 – 2008 year through our Investment Schedule. Reporting on last years KPI”s has been completed and accepted by SPARC, but the report on the Prime Ministers High Performance Coaching Scheme has only just been completed. The Board needs to work on a new Strategic Plan to be ready before our Investment Shedule falls due with SPARC for the next season. Copies of the current Investment Schedule have been forwarded to the Coaching Panel and the Umpires Panel administrators so they can see what is required to fulfill our obligations to SPARC.

The Board is seeking advice regarding our obligations to register as a “Charitable Trust”.

The Board has completed, and distributed to all Associations, the booklet  “Guidelines for National Fixtures”. The main aim of this was to give all Clubs and Association guidelines on how to host a National fixture, what standard is expected and it has collated all previous policies, procedures and by-laws relating to national fixtures in one manual. It is emphasisd that this is a guideline – and any Club or Association is welcome to contact the Board if they need clarification on any matter relating to the hosting of an event.

Codes of Conducts and Terms of Reference have been written or reviewed for various appointments – including Umpires Committee, Coaching Panel, Coaching Administrator, Board Members Roles on Committees and the 2011 World Cup Committee.

A National Coach is only required for International teams – where they will be appointed by a selection panel. The Coaching Panel can identify and refer to the Board candidates for coaches for New Zealand teams playing non-international teams.

Affiliation fees increased by $10.00 per player and $5.00 per Social member; carnival levies were also increased slightly – to $10 per player; the transfer fee remained the same as last year - $250.00.

A request was received from the Feilding District Court, requesting membership numbers of a Club from 1992. This highlights the need for Clubs and Associations to accurately record their membership numbers and to ensure that these records are kept.

Full reports have been received from the 2007 World Cup Captain, Manager and Coach with many positive points and ideas to work to help with preparation and planning for the 2011 World Cup. A report was also received from a member of the Umpires Committee that attended the World Cup, outlining inconsistencies in umpiring, the allocation of umpires and suggestions for the next IPC meeting, along with information gleamed from two seminars attended whilst at the World Cup. A World Cup Planning Committee has been formed, with two sub committees – one aimed at the funding and sponsorship side, while the other one is aimed at high performance development.

The appointment of a Coaching Administrator to the Coaching Panel has seen this group come together well over the last few months. Members of the Coaching Panel include – Wayne Bushnell, Shane Hill, Russell Tye, Gary Malcolm and Neil Dempster. The Coaching Panel recommended to the Board that the Roke & Rockwood and the Inter Association Championships be held on alternative years; this matter was taken to the AGM Conference for discussion, which has seen this idea be trialed for this season.
The Coaching Panel also requested that the New South Wales mixed team play in a Division against three New Zealand Development teams at the Sponsors Carnival.
The Coaching Panel has put forward a list of Coaches suitable to go forward to complete the Level One of the Coaching Syllabus. Members of the Coaching Panel attended a Coaching Day at Tuwharetoa Polocrosse Club, and organised and ran a Coaching Camp, held in Turangi in January 2008.

The Umpires Panel (Stephen Marshall, Janet Cave, Shane Hill and Steve Watson and Helen Mackenzie as administrator) has been working well, making several good recommendations to the Board, which the Board have supported and adopted. The main ones being - All persons riding a horse within the Polocrosse ground boundaries must wear a helmet and be using a proper bridle at all times; Umpires must umpire to the NZ interpretation of International rules which have been adopted; Umpires who do not have reasonable excuse and who do not turn up to umpire their games will be penalised by being stood down for one chukka at their next game and if they do not have any more games for the weekend then the penalty shall be reinforced at the next carnival and next game that this person plays – this has since being reduced to a two minute stand down.
Printing of new rulebooks – to include the IPC rules, Recommendations for Organising Carnivals, Seedings and Draws and a Guide To Umpiring, are currently in the process of being printed and will be made available to all affiliated members – thanks to a generous donation from Dean Cunningham.
Umpires requested the printing of the New Zealand Polocrosse score sheets in pad forms. A number of these have since been done and sponsored by a member of the Umpires panel. A further 5,000 (100 pads of 50 sheets) will be printed with the generous sponsorship of Tirau Welders.
The Umpires Panel have been requested to supply the Board with a list of any “horse – kicking” incidents, and to keep a record of these for future reference.
Umpires have been graded for the 2008-playing season.

The board continues to receive regular updates from both the Webmaster and the Publicity Officer. The web site has recorded hits of 15,000 per month, while our Publicity Officer continues to get coverage wherever she can, including magazines, newspapers and occasional television coverage.

The Board discussed ideas of running a “Draw Committee School” to help educate people of this important role and hopefully get more people interested in taking part in this at carnivals; the Board has started work on this project with expressions of interest being sought.

All Committees have been asked to forward reports and minutes to the Board Secretary, preferably by e-mail to allow for distribution to Board members and where required, forwarding to SPARC. The Board continues to keep all reports from Managers, Coaches etc confidential to allow for honest, factual reporting; any information in the reports that will benefit future people in these positions will be passed on in an anonymous manner.

The past six months has seen talk of several tours with Australia, with the first one of an New Zealand Under 21 team touring to New South Wales having to be cancelled due to unavailability of players in July 2007.

Currently there is a tour arranged for a New South Wales Under 21 team to play at the Horse of the Year Show and again the following weekend at the Kaitieke 40th Anniversary carnival. A senior mixed New South Wales team will be playing a feature match at the Sponsors Carnival in February.
Charles and Rhonda Melbourne, who have played an important part in the hosting of many New Zealand Junior exchange players whilst in Australia, have accepted an invitation from New Zealand Polocrosse to visit New Zealand, which they will be doing in February 2008.
Arrangements are underway for the contesting of the Cooper Trophy, which would see New Zealand travel to Queensland to compete for this. It is hoped that this will be a development type squad, with no age limit.

An invitation was received from Australia to take part in a Quadrangular Series in 2009, along with South Africa and the United Kingdom, which New Zealand has accepted.
An American Polocrosse Club extended an invitation to visit and play in America in the 2007 – 2008 season, but no Club took up this offer.

Sam Cunningham was the first recipient of the newly formed Queensland Junior Scholarship, which saw him travel to Australia with the two New South Wales Junior Scholarship recipients – Mareka Prentice and Flo Cumming, late in June, returning to New Zealand on the 25th July 2007. Nominations for these three scholarships are currently being called for by the Board, with applications due in to the Board by the 28th February 2008.

Over the last six months the Board has been investigating issues regarding ACC and medical cover for New Zealand players whilst overseas, and overseas players whilst in New Zealand. Members have been informed of the Boards findings through “Notices To Clubs”, which is distributed to all Club and Association secretaries to forward on to their members.

Discussion re over-seas players wishing to play in New Zealand games highlighted the need to write a By-Law regarding overseas players residing in New Zealand. Players have been advised that to be eligible for the three development squads to play at the Sponsors Carnival, they need to meet the criteria as if playing in an international game.

Clubs and Associations were also informed of seminars on the “Equine Flu” after Warrick Allan, from Equestrian Sports New Zealand, spoke to the Board at a meeting in Wellington. Jim Ellis, the new CEO of ESNZ, also joined this meeting to introduce himself, and reaffirm that ESNZ wishes to have a strong relationship with New Zealand Polocrosse and will help us in whatever way that they can.

Carnival dates were received by the Board, with all Clubs being able to have the weekends that they requested. However due to the fact that the Inter Association Championship is no longer going to be held this year, this has seen changes in dates for the Roke and Rockwood and the Sponsors carnivals, with some Clubs carnival dates having to be changed – with Clubs involved co-operating with the Board well on these requests. It is however, disappointing that due to one of these date changes, the Putaruru – Tirau Club will no longer be hosting the Roke & Rockwood event this year.

Hastings Polocrosse Club advised the Board that they were promoting Polocrosse at the Hastings Show, and have since held a “have a go day” and the Board was also advised that the Te Mata Club were doing a demonstration game at the Nelson A & P Show – both Clubs were forwarded New Zealand Polocrosse brochures. New Zealand Polocrosse will be putting on a demonstration game at the Horse of the Year Show in March 2008 at Hastings.

A query regarding Club and Association colours has seen a database being set up, with Clubs and Associations being asked to register their colours. However, with many teams having similar colour schemes in writing – eg. red / white, it appears that a “photo” file needs to be set up for this purpose.

This year has seen the introduction of certificates of recognition for players, especially Juniors and Intermediates, for selection on teams, Scholarships, attending courses or for New Zealand representation.

Thank you

Robin Cave
(Board Chairperson)
12th February 2008