Swimming: SNZ board faces sack calls

Murray Coulter. Photo / Getty Images

Swimming New Zealand's regions are massing in a move to get rid of their national board.

It follows last week's Ineson report into the sport's parlous state ahead of the London Olympics. The report identified inadequacies in the governance, operational and high performance arms of SNZ.

The majority of the sport's 16 regions are understood to have tired of what they see as the board's inertia following tepid Commonwealth Games results, poor behaviour and a culture of fear amongst elite athletes which led Sparc to set up the review.

As a result, a special general meeting could be instigated ahead of the world championships in Shanghai starting on July 16. Under SNZ's constitution, written notice of at least two weeks has to be given and the meeting has to be held within four weeks. The agenda is likely to consider the content and recommendations of the Ineson report and SNZ's response - and disenchanted regions are likely to seek a vote of no confidence in the board if they don't like what they hear.

The Herald on Sunday understands at least 12 of the 16 regions want an SGM. The positions of the other regions are unknown - and they could side with the status quo. A 60 per cent majority of votes is required for change, with regions in Auckland, Wellington, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Otago potentially getting an extra vote because they have more members.

SNZ chairman Murray Coulter has heard rumours about an SGM but is unaware of any official date. He warns such a move could have disastrous results for SNZ's funding if Sparc sees it as a further disruption to the Ineson report recommendations.

"I can't see Sparc viewing such a move as constructive. They probably wouldn't invest in us for the next six months as a result. But if that is what the democratic process demands then we'll do it." Alternatively Sparc - reluctant to impinge further on swimming's sovereignty - may see it as a further rebellion against the status quo and welcome a change of board. One source said the SGM was raised as an urgent option because of frustration that the Ineson report recommendations had been passed to the newly formed "high performance advisory committee" - headed by businessman Ross Butler and including the likes of former swimmers Alison Fitch and Helen Norfolk. Some in the regions feel the board could have acted faster, even though Ineson recommended the committee be set up.

Action against the board was necessary because regions around the country felt "humiliated, embarrassed and helpless" at the sport's recent poor publicity, the source added. There was confidence there would be a change in personnel at high performance level but legal employment issues were being considered. Sparc CEO Peter Miskimmin acknowledged there was always going to be speculation about what would happen next for SNZ but suggested his organisation preferred a more structured change.

"We met their board and endorsed their recommendations for the time being because we were heartened by their prompt response. It's probably not helpful if the sport goes through another major change ahead of the AGM later in the year.

"I'd be concerned it might destabilise athlete preparations further with so little time [13 months] left until the Olympics. Sparc wants SNZ to implement the necessary changes to help athletes towards London."

Coulter says he can sympathise with the regions' plight: "There's a lot of passion in our sport. People feel keenly about the things we do and it comes out in different ways. I don't think it's necessary, but if they choose to do these things, I understand.

"It's too early to say when the advisory committee will make a decision but we've opened up the lines of communication so people can tell us what should change in the high performance programme.

"Hopefully we can demonstrate quickly that the board and management are taking it seriously and we're up for change. That's the only thing we can do."