Message from Touch NZ CEO Joe Sprangers regarding the unaffiliated NATRA Tournament

Dear Touch NZ Membership,

Every year the unaffiliated group known as NATRA run a tournament in October, generally in the Rotorua/Taupo area, which they advertise as a test series between Australia and NZ. This group is unaffiliated and is not sanctioned by Touch NZ or Touch Football Australia. Please do not attend this tournament as it rules you ineligible for all Touch NZ tournaments for the season, including Super Trans Tasman. The Board of Touch NZ at the Touch NZ Board meeting held 26-27 May 2012 recorded the following statement in the Board minutes:

NATRA
The Board of Touch NZ confirmed that anyone attending the NATRA event in any capacity was ineligible to attend Touch NZ National tournaments or events. The Board of Touch NZ declined to offer any further amnesty, and advised that the amnesty this past season was a one off decision that will not be repeated.
The CEO Touch NZ is to write to all Provincial Associations and advise them of this position, recommending that they contact all their modules, representative players, coaches and managers. Specifically the Board recommended that the Provincial Associations discuss this with their Masters players, as they were the ones mainly attending this event

Therefore anyone that attends NATRA will be ineligible to attend any Touch NZ National tournaments that season.  Any players, coaches, managers, or referees, that have been selected for Super Trans Tasman that attend NATRA will be immediately released from the Trans Tasman series and will not be allowed to participate at Super Trans Tasman Test Series.

Regards,
 
Joe Sprangers
Chief Executive Officer
Touch New Zealand