COVID-19

There are now just two weeks to enter the NZ Orienteering Championships (‘Nationals’). 

Based on where we’re at and the need for orienteers and organisers to have certainty, we are now moving forward with our Level 2 plan. Key elements of the Level 2 plan are as follows:

• Nationals will be a 3-day event (Saturday 24 – Monday 26 October).
• Long distance on Saturday, Middle distance on Sunday, and Sprint on Monday. 
• People will be assigned to ‘travel groups’, according to their club or where they are travelling from. 
• Elites will be allocated their own time block, regardless of travel group. 
• World Ranking Event status still applies for long- and middle-distance events. 
• No food, coffee or water at the event centre, and limited other facilities—so come well prepared! 

COVID Tracer QR codes for contact tracing, good hygiene practices, and physical distancing where possible are all an expectation of participation at Nationals 2020. 

We know that things will look and feel a bit different, but we need to ensure a safe and fun competition for everyone. 

What if alert levels change? 

None of the key elements of the Level 2 plan that are listed above will be revisited, even if COVID-19 alert levels across the country are below Alert Level 2 on the day. 

We know that people want to catch up and compare notes. If all of New Zealand is at Alert Level 1, you will more likely see a more relaxed approach at event centres—but one that conforms to the expected public health practices of that alert level. 

For detail about what happens if alert levels anywhere in New Zealand exceed Level 2 as of 23 October, see our decision criteria.

Everyone must register to enter

Entries for Nationals are now open until midnight Friday 9 October.

All entries from April were voided, so anyone who intends to come along needs to re-enter. Until your name appears on the list of confirmed entries, you are not entered—and you are not automatically re-entered, even if we are holding over your entry fee from Easter. 

We will be contacting those people whose money we have to ensure that they receive the correct reimbursement in light of our moving to a three-day event. We are also contacting our volunteers to reconfirm their arrangements for helping.

We appreciate your commitment to attending Nationals—make sure to enter by midnight Friday 9 October.

We’re pleased to let you know where we’re at with planning for the 2020 ONZ National Foot-O Championships. Further to Orienteering NZ’s recent major events update, Orienteering Wellington would like to present our plan for the 2020 Nationals.

Our key considerations in developing this plan have been to ensure the safety of competitors and to follow government guidelines on gatherings and social distancing.

How it works

• If all of New Zealand is at COVID-19 Alert Level 1, or lower, we will run Nationals under our Level 1 plan.
• If any part of New Zealand is at a COVID-19 Alert Level between 1 and 2, we will run Nationals under our Level 2 plan.
• If either Manawatū or Wellington is at a COVID-19 Alert Level greater than 2, we will not run an event.

If Manawatū or Wellington is at level 2 or lower, and any other part of New Zealand is at a COVID-19 Alert Level greater than 2, we will consider running a multi-day event over Labour Weekend. This won’t be the Nationals as such as some competitors will not be able to travel to attend, but will use many of the same high quality maps and courses.

Given the uncertainty around when and where Alert Levels might change, Orienteering Wellington will confirm which Level Plan we will use at the end of September. See our decision criteria for more details.

• Level 1 plan.
• Level 2 plan.
• Decision criteria.

Refunds

We realise these are uncertain times and we’re lucky to be able to plan an A-level event at all. To help alleviate the uncertainty for competitors, full refunds for entry fees will be available up until the closing of entries. If the event takes place using our Level 2 plan, the relay entry will be refunded.

In line with government health advice, please do not attend if you feel unwell. Competitors who need to withdraw due to illness will get a full refund of their entry fees.

Unfortunately, Orienteering Wellington cannot take liability for any loss associated with travel or accommodation cancellation.

Embargoes

All previous embargoes remain in place.

• List of embargoes.

Entries

Entries are open now, and you’ll need to enter by midnight on Friday 9 October.