News & Updates

Two North Island Centres have shown great initiative to put on a pair of meets which offer a welcome competitive opportunity for secondary school kids following the cancellation of the New Zealand Secondary Schools Track & Field Championships, which was scheduled for December 16-18 in Inglewood.

The prestigious annual event may have become a victim of the global pandemic, but President of Egmont Athletics and Athletics NZ President Karen Gillum-Green was determined to offer an alternative competitive option for secondary school kids and has organised the TET Stadium Secondary Schools and Open Challenge in Inglewood on 16-17 December.

“For many secondary school age kids this will be their last chance to compete for the year and for Year 13s their last chance to compete as secondary school athletes,” she adds. “I just thought it important to put something on for them, it is the very least we can do.

“It doesn’t take a lot to offer an event like that and the fact that senior grade athletes also have the chance to compete offers another dimension to the meet.”

The Hawkes Bay/Gisborne region has also reacted positively to the shortfall in secondary schools competition by putting on an additional HBG Interclub meet on Saturday 18 December at Mitre 10 Park, Hastings and offered secondary school kids the chance to compete. 

“The secondary school kids have missed out on so many competitions this year, they’ve been so underdone,” explains Hawkes Bay and Gisborne Centre secretary Sharee Jones. “With no major competition this year for under-18 athletes this year, it is nice to be able to offer the kids in the central region an extra chance to compete.”

Following the postponement of the 2021 Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships in March the decision was made to include only senior and U20 events in the amended programme with the U18 championships instead included as part of the 2021 New Zealand Secondary Schools Track & Field Championships which were later cancelled.

To find out more details of the TET Stadium Secondary Schools and Open Challenge in Inglewood on Friday-Saturday 17-18 December go here.

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To find out more about the Central Regions Meet at Mitre Park 10 go here.

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