Please note that Waka Ama NZ has advised a change to the rules regarding W12 teams that are formed between two clubs.

The new policy (see rule 21.7 in the Waka Ama NZ race rules) is as follows:

W12 crews can be made up of competitors from up to two clubs from the same region, but only in the following divisions:

• Midget
• Intermediate
• Senior Master
• Golden Master
• Master 70

This rule only applies where a club does not have sufficient paddlers to form their own, stand-alone, W12 crews in those age categories.
A WT12 crew made up of 2 clubs may be a combination of any number of paddlers from those two clubs. They must satisfy all other rules as specified in the race rule document.

The key change is that this rule now only applies to some divisions, not all. For example, clubs can no longer combine in the Premier division.

If your club wishes to combine with another club in the above divisions, please take note of the following:

• Hoe Tonga has not yet updated its policy, see P5 – Process for regional (inter-club) WT12 entries for National Sprint Champs. However, the same process still applies to the divisions where the above new Waka Ama NZ rule applies.
• The deadline for submitting entries to the Hoe Tonga administrator (hoetonga@gmail.com) is Tuesday, 16 December. 
• For Hoe Tonga to process any entries, they MUST COMPLY with the process as outlined in P5 – Process for regional (inter-club) WT12 entries for National Sprint Champs. If the submission is not complete, it will NOT be processed