2018/19 Reclassification Report
2018/19 Re-classification Report
In accordance with the NZRA Rules of Racing 2018 Rule 13.5, NZRA received and considered applications from rowers seeking re-classification of their ability grade. This process was considerably simpler than in 2017 due to the clear rules adopted at the AGM. The Panel wishes to acknowledge the Classification Rule Review Committee and the Domestic Committee for their work in assisting Rowing NZ staff with this process and the alterations to the Rules.
The Reclassification Panel consisted of Tim Wilson (Rowing Coordinator), Sonya Walker (Rowing Manager) and Annabel Ritchie (Rowing NZ Board Member)
Rowing NZ received 47 applications for reclassification. All of these applications were to move down to a lower grade.
| Application | Received | Granted |
| Senior – Club | 23 | 15 |
| Club – Intermediate | 13 | 12 |
| Intermediate – Novice | 11 | N/A |
The Domestic Committee were consulted as to the criteria the Panel should use. The Domestic Committee provided the following advice:
- boat size should only be a consideration when a rower’s only qualifying event was an eight; but particularly when that eight was for a higher grade e.g. the rower was rowing up a grade to make up numbers
The Panel further consulted the Domestic Committee on 6 of these applications where they felt there was some debate as to whether the application should be accepted or declined.
After consideration of all applications the Panel wishes to inform clubs of the following points:
- The Panel received 11 requests to reclassify a rower back to Novice from Intermediate. Under the NZRA Rules of Racing 2018 13.4 d) “No rower may become novice again’. This is not a new Rule and has remained unchanged for several years. The Rule was strictly adhered to and any application to be reclassified to Novice was rejected.
- With the changes to what regattas rowers are now classified at, the Panel felt it could only consider a rower’s New Zealand Championships and New Zealand Secondary School Championships results.
- Multiple cases related to the initial assignment of rowers to grades in 2017. There are expected to be few, if any, of these in future:
- Where a rower had been previously assigned to Senior by Rowing NZ in 2017 and had only raced age grade events and performed poorly in 2018 the rower was regraded to Club.
- Where a Masters age rower who had been assigned to Club and subsequently only raced Masters events in 2017/18 the rower was regraded to Intermediate.
- Where a rower who had spent 2 – 3 years away from the sport and had been assigned to Senior the rower was moved down to Club. One of these rowers was an ex-RPC rower who had withdrawn mid season due to illness.
- A Masters age rower who has competed regularly in Club grade events with declining results was regraded to Intermediate grade.
- A large number of rowers applied for regrading because the result that moved them up a grade was in an 8+. This was for both moving down from Senior to Club and Club to intermediate. This was discussed with the Domestic Committee. In cases of Novices being made Club rather than intermediate, these were approved. In cases where Club rowers became Senior, they were assessed on their NZ Champs and Maadi results. If the rower had made other A Finals, it was felt they showed ability and the applications were declined. Where the rower’s other results were below A final level, e.g. B Finals and/or eliminated in the repechages the application was accepted.
It is also worth noting that Clubs and Associations need to endorse all applications. The panel received a number of applications that were not endorsed by a Club or Association. The time frame was well adhered to,
The Panel notes the guidelines for reclassification applications will be updated next year. This will take place after the Classification Rule Review Committee has completed its next review and once the proposed changes are adopted at the 2019 AGM.