For many sports codes, access to secondary-age student sport is largely controlled by schools and school based organisations. At a regional and national level, competitions are sanctioned by School Sports New Zealand (SSNZ) and entry is regulated by the SSNZ Eligibility Criteria.

In 2024 SSNZ agreed to agreed to grant HESSA exemptions to compete on a case-by-case basis. 

  • In 2024 no individual exemptions to compete were granted for HESSA members
  • In 2024 several host and composite team exemptions were granted, allowing HESSA members to compete in SSNZ Carnival, Cup and Championship tournaments as members of school teams.
  • In 2025 to date several composite team exemptions have been granted.

HESSA can support home educated domestic students to enter sanctioned events via an inclusion request process. 
Requests must be received by 15th of the Month to allow HESSA to make an inclusion request to SSNZ and should be be at least 8 weeks from the date of the event applied for.
 
Regulation 4 applies to Home Educated Students. 

 4. Home Schooled Students

Individual Sports. 

  1. Where event organisers wish to do so, home-schooled students that are members of the Home Educators School Sport Association (HESSA) may participate in a School Sport NZ sanctioned event.
  2. Home-schooled students who meet the above criteria are eligible to participate in sanctioned Cup and Festival tiered events.


Team Sports.

  1. For events below the premier level of a School Sport NZ sport, and where agreement of the event organiser is given, home-schooled students who are members of HESSA may be included in the Composite Team of a school, provided that the home-schooled students have been a part of the school team for the season and not simply joining for the event.
  2. The school principal of a Composite Team is responsible for ensuring all eligibility regulations and Health and Safety protocols are adhered to.
  3. All other School Sport NZ regulations relating to Composite Teams will apply to such teams in (i) above, including the principal of the school taking responsibility for all team members.



Please use our  online Inclusion to Compete Request Form to submit an inclusion request
Requests must be received by 15th of the month, and at least 8 weeks before the start date of the event applied for.