NZ Rogainers Confirm Close Relationship with Orienteering

A meeting of the NZOF Rogaining Committee has confirmed the close relationship between rogaining and orienteering in New Zealand. Desires for autonomy which have been debated sporadically over the years have been heightened by orienteering's decision to increase its event levy from 10 to 25%, after a decrease in Hillary Commission funding. The orienteering federation funded a meeting of the 5-member rogaine committee, which otherwise works entirely by email, at Christchurch yesterday.

The committee looked at various models for developing the sport, and decided that a separate formal structure (with its workload) was not needed in New Zealand. Instead, a loose identity to be known as "Rogaining New Zealand" would be run by the federation's rogaine committee as now, with the addition of an emailing list. The list would consist of anybody who wanted to be on the list.

The philosophy reflects an aversion for un-necessary committees, the fact that most rogaines have been organised under the umbrella of an orienteering club, and that orienteering sees itself as a broad activity covering all sorts of map-sports from 10-minute courses in parks to 24-hour rogaines and mountain marathons. Orienteering on mountainbikes is also becoming increasingly popular.

The question of the levy, which has led to the Marlborough rogaine being run by individuals rather than a club, will be addressed by negotiation about the orienteering federation activities that are not wanted for rogaining, such as the coaching, selection and representative team structure. Rogaining can expect to share a number of "indivisible" costs of running a national sporting body, but negotiations on a lower levy rate will now occur.

The meeting was attended by

• Peter Squires (Rogaine Ctee Convenor)
• Dave Laurie (Rogaine Ctee)
• Mark Copeland (Rogaine Ctee)
• Ray Nicholson (Rogaine Ctee)
• Michael Wood (Rogaine Ctee)
• Stuart Payne (NZOF General Manager
• Alan Holdaway (Marlborough Rogaine organiser)
• Andy Buchanan
• Bill Kennedy

• We want to encourage the development of the sport of rogaining. We want to encourage the development of the sport of orienteering
• Neither sport should be adversely affected by structures or policies set up by the other
• We need to recognise that the two sports may have different cultures:
  • Different groups of participants (age, interests, team aspect etc)
  • Different emphasis on formal traiing and international competition
  • Different emphasis on formal rules and technical standards
  • Different expectation of services from the parent body (publications, travel costs, formal meetings etc)
  • Different types of social activities
• People who want to participate in both sports should be able to do so
• Orienteering clubs should be encouraged to organise and promote rogaines
• There is no need to have a formal defiition of the two sports because we want to allow orienteering score events that look like rogaines, or short rogaines that look like orienteering score events. Some intermediate events may fit into both categories.
• Rogainers should not subsidise orienteering, and orienteers should not subsidise rogaining.
• The two sports should have a coordinated approach with regard to
  • Event calendars
  • Funding from the Hillary Commission, councils, etc
  • Promotion of other "Map-sports" including Twalk, Cyclic Saga etc
  • Insurance
  • Sharing of map areas and mapping costs