The Chatham Cup and Kate Sheppard Cup are supposed to be pinnacle NZF competitions but every year there are
- teams not entering
- teams not prepared to travel and so defaulting
- unnecessary byes in Round 1
This year in the Chatham Cup
Four Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship clubs receive a bye North Shore United, Northern Rovers, Ngaruawahia United and Onehunga Mangere United when there could have been 4 less games in the Northern section in the Preliminary Round
Two Souther League sides receive a bye Nomads United and Christchurch United when there could have been 2 less games in the Mainland section in the Preliminary Round
Four Southern Premiership teams receive a bye Queens Park, Mosgiel, AFC Northern and Otago University, when there was 1 game in the Southern section in the Preliminary Round so only 3 of those teams should have a bye.
Two games were defaulted
Western Rangers v FC Western
Wanganui Athletic v Waitara
In the Kate Sheppard Cup
Birkenhead United receive a bye when there were could have been one less preliminary round game in the north.
Wellington Phoenix Academy, Victoria University, Waterside Karori and Miramar Rangers receive a bye when there was 1 game in the Central section in the Preliminary Round so only 3 of those teams should have a byte.
One game was defaulted
Whakatane v Ngunguru
Moturoa, NW United, Palmerston North United from the top tier
Melville, Central from the second tier did not enter.
I think the main cause of defaultls and not entering is travel, and perversely I think solution is to try and encourage more teams to enter so that if teams do get in a position to travel outside of their province, they at least have done so on the back of winning two games against their neighbours.
With teams not entering because of MoU then perhaps all the clubs in the MoU should be allowed to enter and the quid pro pro is that other clubs can enter reserve teams where they are mandated into a seperate competition. (if you can come up with a suitable rule about eligibility)
I think the other solution is to be more open about the nature of the draw. I think it helps with Tasman teams entering knowing that they aren't travelling to Christchurch unless they win some games. Would you get more Taranaki, Manawatu, Hawkes Bay sides if they knew they were only travelling outside the region after winning two games.
Would it help if it was said at the beginning that 32 national league sides have direct entry to round 4, and that rounds before that are to find 32 teams to go up against them, and the draw would then have each 32 qualifier at home to a national league side.
Should it be mandatory that teams in the top 3 or 4 divisions enter?
I think it is healthy that teams get a chance to play teams from different divisions above or below them, rather than playing the same 6,8,10 teams two or three times a year every year.
- teams not entering
- teams not prepared to travel and so defaulting
- unnecessary byes in Round 1
This year in the Chatham Cup
Four Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship clubs receive a bye North Shore United, Northern Rovers, Ngaruawahia United and Onehunga Mangere United when there could have been 4 less games in the Northern section in the Preliminary Round
Two Souther League sides receive a bye Nomads United and Christchurch United when there could have been 2 less games in the Mainland section in the Preliminary Round
Four Southern Premiership teams receive a bye Queens Park, Mosgiel, AFC Northern and Otago University, when there was 1 game in the Southern section in the Preliminary Round so only 3 of those teams should have a bye.
Two games were defaulted
Western Rangers v FC Western
Wanganui Athletic v Waitara
In the Kate Sheppard Cup
Birkenhead United receive a bye when there were could have been one less preliminary round game in the north.
Wellington Phoenix Academy, Victoria University, Waterside Karori and Miramar Rangers receive a bye when there was 1 game in the Central section in the Preliminary Round so only 3 of those teams should have a byte.
One game was defaulted
Whakatane v Ngunguru
Moturoa, NW United, Palmerston North United from the top tier
Melville, Central from the second tier did not enter.
I think the main cause of defaultls and not entering is travel, and perversely I think solution is to try and encourage more teams to enter so that if teams do get in a position to travel outside of their province, they at least have done so on the back of winning two games against their neighbours.
With teams not entering because of MoU then perhaps all the clubs in the MoU should be allowed to enter and the quid pro pro is that other clubs can enter reserve teams where they are mandated into a seperate competition. (if you can come up with a suitable rule about eligibility)
I think the other solution is to be more open about the nature of the draw. I think it helps with Tasman teams entering knowing that they aren't travelling to Christchurch unless they win some games. Would you get more Taranaki, Manawatu, Hawkes Bay sides if they knew they were only travelling outside the region after winning two games.
Would it help if it was said at the beginning that 32 national league sides have direct entry to round 4, and that rounds before that are to find 32 teams to go up against them, and the draw would then have each 32 qualifier at home to a national league side.
Should it be mandatory that teams in the top 3 or 4 divisions enter?
I think it is healthy that teams get a chance to play teams from different divisions above or below them, rather than playing the same 6,8,10 teams two or three times a year every year.