Issue 170 : 9 February 2025
Talofa Lava, Kia Orana, Malo E Leilei, Tena Koutou, Hello ...
... and welcome to the latest issue of “For the Love of the Game”, the official e-zine of the New Zealand Amateur Sport Association Inc., founded in Wellington, New Zealand in 2017.
The Association is a not-for-profit incorporated society, run by volunteers who are passionate about the social value created by amateur sport and amateur sport clubs in our local communities. We are not funded by government, and solely rely on our members, community sponsors and grant funders to support our strategic pillars of "amateur advocacy", "thought leadership" and "community engagement". We welcome your interest and support.
To contact the Association, or to apply for membership, please visit our website, here.
New Zealand’s First National Sports Team ...
In the week in which we commemorated New Zealand’s nationhood, it is interesting to recollect when the country was first represented on the international sporting stage.
(What was, and who were, New Zealand's first national sports team?)
Contrary to popular wisdom that the first national sport team to leave New Zealand to compete overseas was the New Zealand rugby union team of May 1884, over a decade earlier in November 1873, a team of 20 marksmen representing five provinces (Auckland, Otago, Thames, Wellington and Whanganui) travelled to Melbourne to represent New Zealand in the “Intercolonial Rifle Matches”. The event (which comprised 408 competitors in total), was held between teams representing Victoria (the hosts), New South Wales and New Zealand.
(Rifle target shooting was a popular national pastime in 19th century New Zealand)
The competition was held over 200-, 300-, 500- and 600-yard distances and was won by New South Wales with 1,586 points, second was Victoria with 1,521 points and New Zealand was third with 1,488 points. New Zealand was reported to be most accurate over the 200-yard range.
The New Zealand team comprised Christie (Otago), Small (Auckland), Reid (Otago), Hoskins (Thames), Fox, Goldie (Otago), Alderton (Auckland), Hunt, Fenton (Thames), Stone (Thames), Halse (Wellington), McCredie (Wellington), Taylor (Otago), Munyard, Hicks, Thurston, Chapman, Ross, Partington and Stonebridge. It was reported of the New Zealand team that their “firing generally was not very good”, with Reid and Small being the highest team scorers.
(
(Target Shooting New Zealand Inc. continues to represent a popular national sport)
Following the competition, the "Melbourne Leader" graciously wrote, “we venture to predict that next year, at Sydney, the New Zealand team will give the other colonies a hard fight, as the range there is more like those in their own provinces”.
Paul Latham Joins Association Board ...
The Association is delighted to welcome Paul Latham as a new member of the Board.
(Paul Latham, new Association Board member)
Paul is a Regional Sales Manager for Dynasty Sport, based in Wellington, prior to which he was a Development Manager for the Wellington Rugby Union. With his wife Mandy, Paul launched the Āhuru Mōwai Trust in 2016, a charitable trust with a purpose of providing safe spaces and places (sheltered havens) for families who have children with extra and special needs.
Paul, who is passionate about the value created in local communities through amateur sport, is also an active supporter and member of the Paremata-Plimmerton Rugby Football Club Inc., near Wellington. We look forward to Paul’s contribution to the governance of the Association.
Thank You To Will Caccia-Birch - (Board Member Since 2018) ...
As Paul joins the Board, the Association would also like to acknowledge the service provided by Will Caccia-Birch who has recently stepped down from the Board. Will joined the Board in April 2018 and has served with great generosity of time and spirt for seven consecutive years, including a period where he was appointed interim Association CEO in 2020, and as Association Financial Controller in recent years.
(Will Caccia-Birch, Association Board Member, 2018-2024)
Will once observed, “it’s so important to invest in your greatest asset and as a community club, these are not only your players and coaches, but your volunteers who really make it all happen. So next time, when you leave the netball court or the clubrooms, don’t forget to acknowledge these people - a simple "thanks" goes a long way and its the least we can do for the hard "mahi" being put in each week, so we can once again be out enjoying local community sport.”
Thank you, for your mahi Will!
Viewpoint : “Whose Member?” – A Wake-Up Call For Community Clubs ...
Are you the member of "a sport club", or the member of "a sporting code"?
"Membership" has a specific meaning defined in both statute and in the constitutional documents of sport clubs throughout New Zealand, with both clubs and codes responsible for ensuring "members" are recruited in accordance with their respective obligations.
(Only clubs, not codes, can admit members in accordance with their Rules)
While every local incorporated community sport organisation (ICSO) which is affiliated (directly or indirectly) to a national sport organisation (NSO) must generally abide by the rules and regulations of the NSO in regard to playing the game, in our opinion, a NSO has no pre-emptive right to act as a "membership agent" for the ICSO, (without the ICSO’s specific approval), no power to determine who can be a member of the ICSO, or how the affiliated ICSO chooses to conduct its affairs more generally, (including "who" can be a club member).
(Clubs and codes need to be clear on their statutory obligations)
Under law, every ICSO is an independent, sovereign legal entity with specific regulatory obligations it must meet itself, on an ongoing basis. You can read more here.
Association To Provide Briefing To Parliamentary Members ...
The Association has been invited to meet with ‘members of the National Party caucus on Wednesday 5th March to discuss the legislative and regulatory settings for community sport organisations, with a particular focus on the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 and the Incorporated Societies Regulations 2023.
(The Association will be meeting with MPs on Wednesday, 5 March)
As readers of this newsletter will be aware, the Association has recently submitted on the Statutes Amendment Bill 2024 and has assisted in the drafting of the Incorporated Societies (Small Societies) Amendment Bill, sponsored by ACT MP Laura McClure. We are confident that our advocacy on behalf of community sport will generate positive results in 2025.
“Sport In A Changing Climate” – Gisborne Symposium ...
Next Wednesday (12 February), Association Board member Dr. Mel Johnston will be presenting insights from the 2024 National Sport Club Survey at a community and insights and research symposium in Gisborne at the Midway Surf Lifesaving Club, “Sport In A Changing Climate”.
(The symposium is on Wednesday, 13 February, in Gisborne)
The symposium will feature local and national sport and active recreation leaders, community champions, and researchers. Keynote speakers and workshops will cover a variety of subject areas, and a range of voices from community sports organisations and clubs, will share their responses to "sport in a changing climate"
(The symposium will be available to view on YouTube)
You can tune-in (via YouTube) to the symposium, here.
Incorporated Societies Act 2022 – "Committee Composition" Question ...
The Association has been asked by a regional sport organisation whether the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 requires members of club committees to be “competent” or “representative”.
(Officers of clubs now need to meet certain statutory criteria)
The only statutory qualification requirements for a committee member under the new Act, are contained in the form “IS22”, (which you can download here for use). Every person who wishes to become a committee member of an ICSO will need to sign this form (or its equivalent), with a majority of committee members required to be members of the society.
(Clubs need to agree any specific requirements for their committees in their Rules)
Any other rules concerning committee membership will need to be specified in the constitution of the organisation – and it is solely up to society members to determine what these rules are.
From The Archives ...
ATHLETIC
Star (Christchurch), Issue 10325, 2 December 1911, Page 5
“In reply to "Old Sport," the New Zealand record for throwing the cricket ball is 113 yds 1 in. and was established by A. L. Allen at Napier, on April 15, 1893. The Australasian record is 130 yds 5 in, and was established by G. Davidson, of New South Wales.”
Alan Leslie Allan was born on 3 July 1863, the son of Andrew David Mason (a Banks Peninsula farmer) and Annie Honey (nee Malyon) Allan. After taking a course in farming practice at Lincoln Agricultural College, Alan went to Hawkes Bay to work as manager of Edenham in Waipukurau (and then the Hatuma) stations until 1901.
He then spent 15 years in the Falkland Islands as the manager of the Falkland Islands Company, before returning to New Zealand in 1919 when he purchased his own station at Cape Runaway, before retiring to Havelock North in the early 1920s.
(Cricket has long been a staple of community cohesion)
Keenly interested in cricket, Alan played in the early days for the East Coast Wanderers Club, comprising men assembled from the country districts of the Hawkes Bay province. As referred to above, on Saturday, 15 April 1893 at the Hawkes Bay Amateur Athletic Club And Wanderers Bicycle Club's Sports, Alan put up a New Zealand record for throwing the cricket ball, the measured distance being 112 yds 2ft 7in, (a little over 103 metres). A towering bowler for the East Coast Wanderers Club at that time, it was reported that the team’s “fielding was exceptionally good,” (no doubt in part due to the powerful throw of Alan).
(Alan Allan was a proficient bowler, and held a New Zealand record)
On his retirement, Alan became a member of the Havelock North Bowling Club in the 1920s, and a member of the club’s “selection committee” in the early 1930s as well as being a member of the club’s “Johnston Cup” team. As a historical curiosity, in the early 1930s, the club created the “Swastika Challenge Medal” for pairs competition, (named after a brand of Romney Lincoln wool). Following a decision by the Boy Scouts to retire their own version of the medal in the mid-1930’s (previously considered to be a “good luck” amulet), the bowling medal was also retired.
(A common lawn bowls scene from the 1930's in New Zealand)
Alan married Evelyn “Eva” Matilda Blyth in 1893, with whom he raised a son and daughter. He died in Clive, on 9 August 1938, and is buried in Havelock North cemetery.
The Final Word ...
“A nation is the same people, living in the same place.”
(James Joyce, from “Ulysses”, 1922)