The New Zealand Sport Tribunal confirmed in November 2024 that a protest received from Playaz Volleyball Club regarding the eligibility of a player involved in the 2024 Northern Zone and VNZ Club Championships competitions has been upheld.
Aligned to this outcome, a VNZ decision has reassigned the results of the above competitions.
After VNZ engaged an independent peer review of the recommended actions and processes, the following has been delivered in accordance with the Sport Tribunal outcome:
2024 Northern Zone – Men’s
- Waitakere Rebels lose their points from games in which the player took part during the 2024 NZ Club National Championships qualification process and the teams affected (including Playaz) be thereafter ranked accordingly.
- For the NZ Club Nationals qualification process Waitakere Rebels utilise the revised 2024 rankings for initial 2025 qualification seedings, should they be relevant to the specific qualification process undertaken by the Northern Zone.
- For the NZ Club Nationals qualification process Playaz should utilise the final 2024 rankings for initial 2025 seedings, should they be relevant to the specific qualification process undertaken by the Northern Zone.
2024 National Championships – Men’s Division 1
- Remove Waitakere Rebels from sixth place in Division 1. Waitakere Rebels will be listed in the 2024 National Championship results as a Division 2 team with no ranking.
- Northern Zone retains the Northern 4 position within the 2025 National Championship Division 1 seedings framework.
- Playaz retain the Division 2 Championship Gold Medal placing they won in 2024.
- Division 1 teams which achieved sixth place and above in 2024 VNZ Club National Championships remain unchanged.
- Sixth place is to be vacated by Waitakere Rebels and all Division 1 teams sixth place and below are to be elevated one position both for the record and for the production of seedings for the 2025 VNZ Club National Championships. Position 12 of this seeding system is to be left vacant. for the record.
- While Division 1 Position 12 is vacant in the records, its Zonal allocation in anticipation of the 2025 event (qualification and event) be listed as Northern Zone 4, as noted above.
2024 National Championships – Men’s Division 2
- All Division 2 teams are to be elevated one place, with their zone seedings intact and thus represented in the 2025 Nationals seedings, noting:
- The revised No.1 ranked team from 2024 VNZ Club National Championships Division 2 is not elevated into Gold Medal position per se (as this position is held by Playaz who won this title on the court).
- The revised No.1 ranked team from 2024 VNZ Club National Championships has not won the right for promotion into the 2025 Division 1 National seeding.
- Waitakere Rebels to be listed in the record in Division 2, no ranking, as noted above.
- Waitakere Rebels, for the purposes of qualification for the 2025 edition, to have their spot returned to the Northern Zone qualification system for 2025 as Northern 5, thus making Northern Zone 5 eligible for a Division 2 slot in 2025 if the VNZ Club Championship structure remains the same.
Appeal Rights
Any party to the VNZ Decision in this matter may appeal to the Sports Tribunal of New Zealand within ten working days from the date of notification. (VNZ Constitution 20.2).
