Champion of Champions

Rules  -  2006/07 Results

The discussion paper on the topic was well received at the 2006 Annual Conference and there is clearly popular appeal for a Champion of Champions competition. 

The competition has been established by the RNZPBA as an added enhancement and attraction to the contesting scene in NZ. It is an informal championship (like the Juvenile Event) with a published set of guidelines which, for the purposes of simplicity, will be referred to as “Rules” but which do not form part of the RNZPBA Contest Rules. The new “rules” follow below. 

If member bands deemed it appropriate to incorporate the concept within the formal rules then in due course the Remit process may well be utilised. However in its early years it has been decided by the Board that the contest should remain informal, at least until there is good evidence that it is well understood and running smoothly. 

There will be no difference to the contesting season for competing bands. All that would change is that one Centre Contest in each Island would be conjointly known as North or South Island Contests with hopefully stronger entries. 

The idea is that Centres will make mutual arrangements on the hosting of the North & South Island Contests on a rotational basis but because of the short time scale in the introduction of the new Championship for 2006/07 the Board has nominated the  Wellington and Canterbury Centres to host the inaugural Island contests. Wellington’s event will be on 24 February at Upper Hutt and Canterbury’s on 25 February. These dates are probably not ideal but hopefully bands will understand this initial expediency is in the best interests of getting the new venture up and running. 

Prize money for the inaugural Championship is $5,000 (thanks in part to the Pub Charity grant) So the winning Grade 1 band will receive $2,000 and Grades 2,3 and 4, $1,000 each

It is expected that Qualifying Contests will utilise two panels of judges except where entries are so few that a single panel may be used. It is understood that these contest organisers will use best endeavours to engage competent judges albeit that they may not be on the National Panels.

 RULES

1.       The Champion of Champions competition applies separately to Grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 so that four Champions will be declared.

2.       The Champion of Champions will be decided on  points gained from four of the following five contests, to be known as Qualifying Contests. One of the four must be the NZ Championships:

(Explanation – bands may compete in all five contests but only the four highest points gained will count towards the Champion of Champions aggregate)

 ·         NZ Championships

·         North Island Championships

·         South Island Championships

·         Highland Square Day, Palmerston North 

·         Victoria Square Day, Christchurch

3.       Champion of Champions points gained will be 6,5,4,3,2,1 for placings 1 to 6 respectively in the aggregate result (MSR & Medley) in up to four of the five Qualifying Contests.

4.       There will be a single winner in each Grade which will be the band with the highest aggregate points in its Grade.

5.       In the event of a tie in Champion of Champions points the band with the highest placing in the NZ Championships will take precedence. 

6. Where there are tied results in any Qualifying Contest the Champion of Champions points for each of the placings covered by the tied result will be averaged with each tied band receiving the same Champion of Champions points. (For example if there are two bands tied for 2nd place the Champion of Champions points for 2nd and 3rd will be added thus 5 + 4  = 9 and  divided by two with each band therefor receiving 4.5  Champion of Champions points)

7.       All participating bands in each Qualifying Contest excluding overseas entries will compete for Champion of Champions points.

8.       Overseas bands will not be eligible to participate in the Champion of Champions competition.

9.       Where overseas bands gain a placing in a Qualifying Contest their result will be ignored and placings will apply solely to NZ bands so that there will always be six NZ bands eligible for Champion of Champions points. (Assuming more than six entries in the particular event)

10.   North Island Championships will rotate amongst Centres 

·         Auckland  
·         CNI/Taranaki jointly
·         Wellington Hawkes Bay

  11.   South Island will alternate between:

·         Canterbury/South Canterbury jointly
·         Otago/Southland jointly

12.   The Island Championship events will run as one and the same contest as the Centre Contest. (Explanation - Whoever runs the Island Champs has their own Centre Contest as one and the same because of the short season and difficulties in organising an additional contest )

13.   Centres and will be free to decide who runs the Island Championship by mutual agreement but always with the foremost aim of regular rotation between Centres and with due regard and co-operation as to the dates of these events so that bands may have optimal opportunity to attend as many Qualifying Contests as possible.

14.   All Qualifying Contest dates should be set and published before 1 October in each year. (Explanation -  Apart from bands being given reasonable notice of the season’s schedule, judges availability and appointment for the whole season’s programme should also be established well before start of season)

15.   Prize money will be awarded to the Champion of Champions in each Grade from whatever available pool of funds may be available from year to year in the following ratios:

·         Grade 1               40%
·         Grades 2, 3 and 4            20% each

RESULTS
Posted 11 March 2007