Changes to WPNZ Competitions for 2025

In the latter part of 2024, WPNZ conducted Game Development Sessions. These sessions covered 8 different topics and were designed to gather the collective opinions of clubs, coaches and other stakeholders. These discussions included 62 people from 17 clubs.

As a result, there have been some significant changes throughout the competitive landscape. WPNZ believes that these changes will continue to grow our sport and resolve some ongoing issues previously experienced by players, teams, parents and others.

Below is a summary of these changes. For full details of these changes, please see the WPNZ Competition Manual.

All Competitions

Coaches, Managers and Team Officials Registrations

All Coaches, Managers and Team Officials need to register online with WPNZ and agree to adhere to the terms and conditions set out for all participants in competitions. There is no fee attached to this registration.

Register Here

Competition Categories

WPNZ has categorised all competitions within 5 categories. These are:

• Participation – U12 and Intermediate School Festivals
• Competitive Participation – U14 Div 1 and 2, U16 Div 2, U18 Div 2, National League Div 2, Junior School Events, Senior School Events Div 2
• Competitive – U16 Div 1, U18 Div 1, U21 Div 1, Senior School Events Div 1
• Performance – National League Div 1, Premier League
• High Performance – World Aquatic events

These categories are used to inform and guide decisions on rules, structures and outcomes for competitions.

2025 Competition Matrix (.pdf document) 

Competition Awards

At the end of each game, coaches will be asked to nominate 2 outstanding players from the opposing team. These votes will be collated at the end of the competition, and the player with the highest votes will be named MVP, and the top 7 players with the highest votes will be named in the Tournament Team (irrespective of positions) which will include the MVP player.

Competition Awards - Competition Manual exert (.pdf document)  

Official Manager/Delegate Form

Each Team Manager will be given the Official Manager/Delegate Form at the start of the competition, this will be used to record the progress and actions of a game.

Any game sheet review request or game result dispute will only be accepted if the submission of the manager's official statistics forms (2) is included. As part of the dispute review, the two forms recorded by the team managers will be compared with the game sheet completed by the table.

Official Manager/Delegate Sheet (.pdf document)

Disciplinary Demerit Points

All yellow and red cards will be recorded in a central database. Each incident will carry a set value of demerit points, and penalties will apply for the accumulation of these points as outlined in the new policy.

Disciplinary Matters - Compettiion Manual exert (.pdf document)

Table Duty

Depending on the level of competition, the Table Duty requirements will vary. Some competitions will have optional alternatives, if the duty team chooses.

 The options for Table Duty are:

• White caps method: White caps officiate from the game prior
• Teams do their own games: Each team provides 2 people to officiate their own game
• Paid personnel method: WPNZ supply paid officials for the game
• Host method: the event host officiates all games

Some of these options will also have changes to goal judges and balls being thrown in to play.

(see picture below for Table Duty matrix)

Player Lists per Game

WPNZ has adopted the change of player lists per game as per the new World Aquatics rules.

• Teams with 2 nominated goalies may have 14 players listed for any game
• Teams with 1 nominated goalie may have 13 players listed for any game (no change to previous rules)

Cross-Over Draw Structure

Depending on overall entry numbers for competitions, where possible, a new cross-over structure will be utilised. This new method is designed to increase the number of competitive games in the initial cross-over stage, and to limit the impact that seedings may have on overall final positions.

 The new cross-over structure is:

Cross-Over Group 1 – 1A, 2B, 2C, 1D

Cross-Over Group 2 – 2A, 1B, 1C, 2D

Final positions in these 2 groups will form the final Positional Play-Off game.

National Championships

Squad Sizes

To increase the number of players that smaller clubs can bring to Competitive Participation competitions, there will be an increase in the competition squad list where only 1 team has been entered by a club.

Clubs with 1 team entered - 16 player squad lists (only 14 players can be rotated each game)

Clubs with 2 or more teams entered - 14 player squad lists

Barbarian Teams

We will introduce the first Barbarian Team at the 18U National Championships, at both Division 1 or Division 2. Players, Coaches and Managers can nominate themselves via the online link, and the team will be approved at the entry deadline for the competition. Further details regarding the process can be found here.

National League

Division 2 Loans

Being trialled for 2025, players from Clubs who compete in Division 2, but do not have a Division 1 team, may loan 2 players per season to a Division 1 Club. This has been implemented to aide with the personal skill development of those players who are of Division 1 standard, but their home club does not have a Division 1 team.

 

School Competitions

Player Registrations

All players need to register online with WPNZ, and agree to adhere to the terms and conditions set out for all participants in competitions. There is no fee attached to a school player registration.

 Register Here

Introduction of Mixed Grade

Where possible, a Mixed Grade will be offered, separate from the Boys Grade as per previous years. This will promote co-ed schools to enter mixed teams into competitions that don’t require them to compete against boys only teams.

  

Administration Processes

Competition Manual

WPNZ now has an overarching Competition Manual that contains the rules for all competitions. If any rules differ for specific tournaments, this will be outlined in the Event Competition Manual. Additionally, for event specific details, please check the Event Competition Manual.

General - Competition Manual (.pdf document)

International Player Clearance

The current Loan and Transfer process has been expanded to include International Player Clearances. During the process, the player will nominate a contact from their previous international club to confirm their clearance. The rest of the process will be completed as previous.

International Player/Official Clearance (online form)

Online Protest Form

All protests must be completed online via the Protest Form. The link to this form will be made available in the Competition Manual, and at each Pool Controller desk.

Payment of the $100 submission fee must be completed by credit card upon submission.

Competition Protest Form (online form)

Photography and Videography Policy

All persons wishing to photograph or video/live stream any games, must complete the form below, and agree to the applicable policy. This new policy has been introduced while WPNZ works through a robust change to this space.

Photography Guidelines

Photography/Videography Registration form (online form)

Clubs

Accor Hotels

WPNZ has partnered with Accor, an accommodation provider throughout New Zealand. Accor has offered a 15% discount on rooms during competitions at:

• Ibis Auckland Ellerslie
• Ibis Hamilton
• Ibis Rotorua
• Ibis Welington
• Ibis Christchurch
• Ibis Styles Invercargill

To access these discounts, follow the link below:

https://accorevents.com/offers/nzwp-2025-events