Important message from Club President Maurie Dawson re Hockey NSW Reforms

Dear Club Members, Families and Supporters,

There has been significant
discussion in the hockey community regarding the Association reforms
introduced by Hockey NSW (HNSW) with effect February 2015.

Through this correspondence I hope to communicate my understanding of the reforms to assist discussion and understanding. 

From February 2015, HNSW has
mandated a reduced number of associations in NSW (27 as opposed to 53
across NSW). Rather than separate associations for men, women and
juniors, each association will have responsibility for all players,
irrespective of age or gender. This governance arrangement is consistent
with Australian Sports Commission (ASC) guidelines including those for
funding applications. Hockey Australia and its member organisations are
required to align the ASC guidelines to ensure continued ASC support. 
HNSW has indicated that any player who is not affiliated with one of the
newly constituted associations will not be registered and insured
through HNSW and will not be able to participate in HNSW sanctioned
competitions and events (e.g. state championships).

There will be six Associations in
the Sydney metropolitan area, City-North, City-North West, City-Central
& East, City-South West, City-South and City-West. Ryde will be a
member club of the City-North West Association. Other SHA and SJHA clubs
in the City – North West Association include North West Strikers,
Northern District, Macquarie University and Baulkham Hills. Included
also are all the clubs in the current Parramatta Women’s Hockey
Association (PWHA) and the Ryde Eastwood Hockey Association (REHA).

In terms of competitions there is
likely to be little change, although the organisations that currently
run competitions in Sydney will most likely be competition managers
rather than representative associations. As an example, it is likely
that the North Area competition where most of our juniors compete will
still operate and draw teams from different associations including
City-North West, City-North (Gordon, Manly) and City Central & East
(UTS, Sydney University, Briars). It may also be the case that the
Sydney Hockey Association (SHA) will become a competition manager and
run a Sydney wide competition that approximates the current SHA men’s
competition. Similarly it is unlikely that the Sydney Women’s Hockey
League will change, nor the current U15 and U17 Metro competitions.
Existing local competitions like those run by SNWHA, PWHA and REHA would
continue. It is also open to the new Associations to run their new
local competitions confined to clubs in their boundaries.

As a result of these reforms there
will be likely changes to representative arrangements. In the main,
players will represent the association that their club is affiliated to.
Thus Ryde juniors, women and men will represent a newly created
Association, City-North West. There will be guidelines established to
address player transfer between associations to maximise the
opportunities for players in representative hockey and also to
discourage any player movement between clubs driven purely by
representative aspirations. At present a series of working parties have
been established for each of the newly projected Associations to assess
and carry forward the required infrastructure. Ryde will be represented
on the City-North West working party. 

Further information on the reforms
including HNSW responses to questions posed by a number of hockey
communities can be found at http://www.hockeynsw.com.au/About-Us/Resources/Association-Reform

Further information will be distributed to members as it becomes available.

Yours sincerely

Maurie Dawson