Eligibility Regulations
In 2007 School Sport NZ introduced eligibility regulations for the events it sanctions. These were deemed necessary to recognise the importance of consistency, equity and fair play for participation in National and Island secondary school sporting events and to protect long held school values by:
ensuring all the educational needs of the young person were being considered, not solely their sporting development
maintaining a level playing field in school sport by preventing the formation of ‘super teams’ through “loading” a team with imported players.
protecting schools from being stripped of students they had worked to develop, students who were often leaders in many fields, not solely the sporting arena
providing a pathway for home grown players to get into and remain in their school’s premier teams and not find themselves superseded by short-term imports
Full Eligibility details - https://www.schoolsportnz.org.nz/Sport-1/Events/Eligibility-Regulations