National Title eligibility

John Marshall Posted: 13 March 2012, 2:23 AM   There is a magnificent brouhaha brewing in UK orienteering over a recent rule change around the various British Championships: http://forum.nopesport.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12982 The relevant rule is "1.4.2 Competitors are eligible to be British Championships medallists provided that on the day of the competition they are both a National Member of British Orienteering and a British Citizen" and the British Citizenship bit is the recent addition. Various people who have spent their adult lives in the UK, married brits, raised orienteering british kids, coached and been the mainstays of club committees, etc etc, but have never become actual citizens are... rather peeved. There's no risk I would be anywhere near the podium anyway, but I'm now not going to the British Champs after all. And I don't think I'll be renewing my national BOF membership either. But before I send a shirty letter to BOF headquarters, I thought I'd check what the equivalent ruling in New Zealand is. Our awesome NZOF website has "Rules at 2008.pdf" which says "6.3 NZ championship titles may be held only by individual members of NZOF-affiliated clubs who are also NZ citizens or permanent residents [as defined by the NZ Immigration Service]." Does anyone know if this is still the current rule? Judging by how quickly my immigrant friends in Wellington became permanent residents (one year max), this seems fair enough. If the UK had a similar immigration system (yes I understand why they wouldn't!) then having spent three years here I would be eligible to dream of a national champs medal under a similar rule to the NZ one...   The Map Guy Posted: 13 March 2012, 3:38 AM   I seem to recall the NZOF rule came into being when Taupo OC member, and Pom, Anne Salisbury, working at the Outdoor Pursuits Centre showed she had the potential to win the W21E in 1983. She went on to win the National W21E title in 1983 and 1984.