Issue 115 : 9 October 2022

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.

If you have any feedback on this issue, ideas for future articles, or would like to contact the Editor, please click here. And, you are invited to forward the e-zine to others you know, who may be interested in reading it. An archive of earlier editions of the e-zine can be found here.

For those who follow Twitter, you can also follow the Association, @AmateurSportNZ. If you are interested in applying for membership of the Association, please click here


Association & Minister Agree On Regulatory Approach ...

In a positive and collaborative meeting with the Association on 29 September, the responsible Minister (the Hon. Dr. David Clark) agreed that the regulations of the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 will need to accommodate the needs of New Zealand’s community sport organisations, which are largely operated by volunteers.


(The Association met with the Minister on Thursday, 29 September at the Beehive)


Following discussion, the Minister also agreed that the Association’s regulatory proposals (subject to review by Ministry officials) appear to offer a common sense approach in ensuring that the spirit of the new Act is upheld, while also providing a means by which community volunteers will not be dissuaded from taking on responsibilities specified by the new Act.



Association Chairman, Gordon Noble-Campbell said, “the Minister is fully aware of the challenges that complying with the new Act creates for many community sport organisations. The Association is pleased that there is an intent to ensure that the transition to the new legislative framework does not compromise the integrity of our community clubs, resulting in an unintended wave of involuntary (or voluntary) dissolutions as a result of new compliance obligations under the Act”.

The Association looks forward to working with the Minister’s officials, in creating a regulatory framework which alleviates many of the concerns of volunteers who provide invaluable service to New Zealand communities, through the delivery of organised amateur sport.


Meanwhile, Sport Club Dissolutions Continue Apace ...

72 sport entities were dissolved (involuntarily or voluntarily) by the Registrar on 6 October. Cricket (e.g. the Timaru Cricket Club), cycling (e.g. the Gisborne Cycling Club), softball (e.g. the Newlands Softball Club) and tennis (e.g. the Hairini Tennis Club) accounted for one-third of the total sport club dissolutions. 22 different sporting codes were affected. In a troubling statistic, over 100 clubs per month for the last four months have been dissolved.


(In recent months, on average, 100 sport clubs a month have been dissolved)


Among the clubs dissolved yesterday was the East Coast Rugby Football Club, first incorporated (according to the Registrar’s records) in 1980, (but originally founded in 1953). In 2022, East Coast won the “Hodder Steffert Cup” (the Wairarapa Bush RFU Premier Plate trophy). The club is definitely still operating, offering not only rugby union, but also hockey, netball and more recently basketball to its local community.


(The East Coast Rugby Football Club was among clubs dissolved on 6 October)


National Sport Club Survey Ends & Analysis Begins ...

The 2022 National Sport Club Survey (NSCS) has now closed, with the research team now in the process of analysing the data collected, with the objective of preparing initial insights for public release, next Friday, 14 October.



The NSCS Project Team is planning for survey workshops to be held in Auckland, Canterbury, Hawkes Bay, Manawatu and Wellington, before the end of the year (and possibly early in 2023). Further details concerning survey locations and times will be provided in upcoming newsletters.


2022 Survey Indicates Frustration With New Legislation ...

While specific data concerning the impact of regulation from the 2022 survey is still to be analysed, initial free-text survey feedback from survey respondents indicates that clubs are worried by increasing regulatory oversight.



One club observed, “the number of regulations seems to increase year on year, and while some of these are understandable, the people creating them seem to forget that the clubs are run largely by volunteers and the increased burden is a deterrent to getting more people involved in the running of the club.” Another club noted the new requirements are, “going to make it harder to attract members willing to take up their time to navigate through the changes.”

Many clubs are now investing time and resource to work out what they need to do to comply, while others are ignoring the legislation as it is not seen to be relevant to their operations.


(Incorporated sport clubs fear increased regulation will deter much-needed volunteers)


Further insights will be provided on this key 2022 National Sport Club Survey research focus area, with the release of comprehensive survey data in due course.


“Sport Volunteer Action Plan” Launched In Australia ...

According to recent research undertaken in Australia, between 2019 and 2021 the estimated number of Australians aged 15+ who took on a non-playing role in sport fell by 106,000. In particular, the proportion of volunteers doing just one role declined, while those doing three or more increased. The roles that lost the most volunteers were officials and ad-hoc helpers, (i.e. those carrying out tasks such as setting up, packing down, cleaning etc.).



According to the research, only 82% of pre-COVID and current volunteers are likely to volunteer in the next 12 months. As a result, the “Sport Volunteer Coalition” has developed a new strategy to position volunteering as more than just an “enabler” for Australians to play sport and shine a light on the additional benefits realised from individuals becoming involved in the sporting community through volunteering, including a sense of belonging and community connectedness.



You can read more about the Australia's strategy for sport volunteers, here.


Concussions At School May Affect Academic Performance ...

A team of researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle recently set out to investigate whether or not there was an association between "concussion history" and "academic standing" among high school students.


(At least one concussion is associated with a 25% higher risk of poor academic results)


They analysed data collected from 10,756 adolescents who participated in the 2019 “Youth Risk Behaviour Survey”, a semi-annual survey that monitors health risks among students across the USA. The researchers calculated that having at least one concussion in the past 12 months was associated with a 25% higher risk of poor academic standing and that this association was stronger with a history of repeated concussions.


(Research shows there is a link between "concussion history" and "academic standing")


You can read more about the study (and its findings), here.


From The Archives ...

EVENING STAR, ISSUE 23754, 9 DECEMBER 1940, PAGE 6

“By the death of Mr William H. Matthews, which occurred suddenly on Friday at the age of 72 years, Dunedin has lost a highly respected citizen and one who was widely known and esteemed in many branches of sport.

It has often been remarked by his associates of years ago that Mr Matthews was the finest gymnast New Zealand ever produced, and on many occasions his help and advice were sought by visiting professional gymnasts and acrobats. He retained his interest in gymnastics almost up to the time of his death, and until a comparatively short while ago conducted a class for businessmen, being still capable of performing some of the most difficult gymnastic feats which would baffle many younger men.”


William Harry Matthews was born in Dunedin in 1867, the son of Harry (known as George) and Sarah Jane Matthews (nee Fraer). William’s father was a partner in of the firm of Matthews, Baxter & Co., printers, a profession into which William followed. On 23 April 1900, William married Lena Mary Petersen, with whom he had a son (George William) and daughter (May Scott). The couple divorced ten years later.


(William Matthews, "the finest gymnast New Zealand ever produced")


Matthews was a keen member of the Dunedin Cycling Club in the 1890’s. In the days when gymnastic clubs flourished in Dunedin he was recognised as the outstanding instructor in the city, especially in connection with the activities of the Dunedin Gymnastic Club. He was Otago champion in 1903. William was also a leading figure in Otago swimming and lifesaving circles and gained various awards of the Royal Life Saving Society, of which he was a foundation member of the Otago Branch, being for a long period one of its honorary examiners.

At one time a member of the Otago Amateur Swimming Club, he later became associated with the Dunedin Amateur Swimming Club, in which he held office as President for several years. As an authority on diving, Matthews acted on many occasions as a judge at national championship meetings. He was a member of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association’s panel of diving judges, and of the Otago Centre’s Diving Committee. He was one of the country’s most outstanding diving coaches.



William was a Vice-President of the Otago Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, for many years. He was honoured by the award of a New Zealand honorary association blazer. Boxing also claimed his attention, and for a long time he occupied a seat on the executive of the Otago Boxing Association. William was also a member of the Management Committee of the Otago Athletic Club Sports Protection Association.

At the time of his death on 6 December 1940, William was a partner in the firm of Messrs Laing and Matthews (printers) in Dowling Street, Dunedin. At his express wish, his ashes were scattered without any religious rite or ceremony.


The Final Word ...

“Our club provides a great environment for young sports men and women.”

(A 2022 National Sport Club Survey respondent)


© New Zealand Amateur Sport Association Inc. (2669211), 2017

Registered Office, Level 1, 57 Willis Street, Wellington, 6011

P O Box 582, Wellington, 6140


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