Team Information - Grade Criteria

Welcome to the 37th Annual Whakatāne January Touch Tournament 2025!

Preparations are currently underway for the return of the Classic Whakatāne January Touch Tournament.

If you're interested in registering your team, please read through the Entry Criteria ("Tournament Info" tab) and the information below for grade criteria requirements:

1.   Grade Criteria

To ensure your team fits the correct grade, please check your players meet the following criteria. Teams will be able to protest you if you are proven not to be following these rules.

MENS OPEN

Open to all male players 15 years and older

MENS RESTRICTED

See Appendix re: Player restrictions.

WOMENS OPEN

Open to all female players 15 years and older

WOMENS RESTRICTED

See Appendix re: Player restrictions.

MIXED GRADE see appendix for restrictions

Open to male and female players 15 years and older. Mixed Grade teams can contain up to 2 players only who have represented New Zealand in men’s or women’s or mixed open teams and the men’s or women’s or mixed Youth Under 18/20s teams.  These players must be indicated on the team registration form.

OLD BOYS +35 RESTRICTED GRADE 

Open to all male players 35 years and older. See Appendix re: Player restrictions.

2.    Appendix

Clarification on which players CANNOT play in the tournament Men's restricted, Women’s restricted and Mixed grades. (See Mixed grade)

  1. A player who is 14 years or younger at the date of the tournament.
  2. A player who has played and represented New Zealand in the Open Men’s, Women’s or Mixed teams after the 1st October 2020.
  3. A player who has played and represented New Zealand in the Men’s, Women’s or Mixed Youth Under 18/20 teams after the 1st October 2020.
  4. Any player who has represented any other Country affiliated to the Federation of International Touch (FIT) in similar grades after the 1st October 2020.

 

Clarification on which players CANNOT play in the tournament +35 Old Boys grade

  1. A player who has played and represented New Zealand in the Men’s +35 grade after the 1st October 2020.
  2. Any player who has represented any other Country affiliated to the Federation of International Touch (FIT) in the Men’s +35 grade (or similar grades) after the 1st of October 2020.