11 JUNE 2012
COMMIT TO WELLINGTON SAYS KONG
Christchurch for the Nationals? We have suggested that the NZJF is crazy before today and this suggestion adds weight to our theory. Aren’t we trying to arrest the rapidly declining attendance at the Nationals?
“So guys – heres an idea - Let’s schedule the tournament”
· At the end of regular airline services (i.e. an expensive destination);
· In a city separated by a an ocean crossing from the majority of New Zealand’s Judo community (the North Island); and
· In the city that has recently been levelled by an earthquake (i.e. accommodation will be more expensive and hiring venues will be harder)
· Ignore parents pleas for refunds after they en mass pull out after a series of serious shakes.
And Kong isn’t even going to mention that the nightlife is non-existent, all the good looking people moved to Auckland well before the earthquake and we don’t think there is a single good café or Belgian bar in the place.
All joking aside the real issue is that by moving the tournament around all the time and changing the dates we confuse the families and supporters that get our players to the Nationals.
At Kong we think it would be much better to commit to running the tournament in Wellington at Easter weekend every year. Although Kong rates Wellington as even worse than Christchurch because as well as the nightlife being non-existent, all the good looking people moving to Auckland and not having a single good café or Belgian bar in the place Wellington persists in calling it’s self the creative and arts capital of New Zealand.
Kong finds this claim staggering Shortland Street, the GC, New Zealand’s Hottest Home Baker and a range of other great New Zealand Television are all produced here. And if anyone wants to see Auckland’s art community in action all they need to do is ride a train (ours run unlike Wellington’s and I think Christchurch has horse drawn trams) and see some of our most prolific, dynamic and vibrant young artists decorate our city’s walls.
Kong knows that the Wellington Judo Association is strong and willing to run the tournament and we are so serious that we will pay the Wellington Judo Association $ 2,000 to run the next nationals. Providing they don’t use the Walter Nash Stadium. That venue is terrible. A cold, dingy old hall designed by a refugee from Stalinist Russia claiming to be andarchitect and while the local Black Power gang members add colour to the event they do put kids parents off.
That’s the offer commit to locating the Nationals in Wellington at Easter every year and Kong will sponsor the next Nationals. Any ideas NZJF? ………..NZJF?.........NZJF?..........NZJF?
1. Host city should use use central, visible, locations eg: not Lower Hutt and Kaiapoi. Aucklands AUT is as good as we're going to get. If Wellington cant find a venue in Wellington then they shouldnt host. Chrictchurch is a special case right now.
2. Always have seniors on Day 1, Saturday, allowing them to socialise.
3. Have a teams competition, via region or North vs South the day after.
4. Market the event. Do a press release, supply photos, Publish the results. Get in the papers and even on the news. Sounds crazy I know. It may require a lie to get the media there (eg: SBW is fighting) but once they are there they will write a story.
With entries to the NZ Judo champs at a all time low 40 men and 8 women would now not be the time to bring back SI V'S NI?
How about club team champs as a separate event?.Champion club of NZ. That would bruise a few egos
rick littlewood
as far as stifling the development of judo in the south island by not holding nationals there,have a look at the entries at the canterbury open this year,way down on previous years and this years nationals are in Chch i dont think it will make a diference where the nationals are.
Developing judo in the south island comes down to those administrating/promoting judo in there own area and whether they can be bothered to put any effort in to it.
only trouble nobody is listening,the well graded people running NZ judo have gone deaf.