Lack Of Leaders In Amateur Codes A Concern For All Sporting Kiwis

As of 31 December 2025, less than half of currently incorporated community sport organisations (ICSOs) nationally, are registered under the 2022 Act. There are only 13 weeks for all ICSOs to take the necessary steps to register under the 2022 Act or otherwise experience involuntary dissolution and loss of incorporated status on 5 April.

Overall, based on publicly available Companies Office data, just over half of all currently registered incorporated societies, (of all types), are registered under the 2022 Act.

In the case of ICSOs, over the next 13 weeks, the Association estimates that the average daily registration rate (based on the actual registration rate over the 8 weeks to 31 December 2025) needs to increase three-fold, for all currently registered ICSOs to continue to have a legal identity on “D Day” (or “dissolution day”), 5 April.

If the current registration rate is maintained between now and “D-Day,” the Association estimates that 36% of currently registered ICSOs will cease to have incorporated status, triggering an avoidable “extinction event” which will affect many sporting codes and communities across the nation.

The Association maintains that many ICSOs are still unaware of their legislative obligations, (or oblivious to their impact), with many ICSOs likely to continue operating in an unincorporated state once they have been involuntarily dissolved by the Registrar of Incorporated Societies in April.

Over the past 8 weeks, (since the Association undertook its last analysis), there has been an increase in registrations, however despite this encouraging sign, most sport codes have less than half of their clubs registered under the 2022 Act. While Lawn and Indoor Bowls have achieved the greatest compliance, with around three-quarters of all clubs registered, only 1 in 10 equestrian clubs have taken the necessary steps to remain registered.

The three large sport codes currently with vacancies in the role of Chief Executive (cricket, netball, and rugby union) all languish among the codes with lower rates of registration.

We encourage the Minister for Commerce and Consumer Affairs to reconsider the Government imposed deadline for registrations by at least a further 12 months, to avoid the unintended consequences for local communities which rely on the service of volunteers to deliver sport throughout New Zealand.

© Scoop Media