Junior Season Dates

Western Bay of Plenty Cricket's Junior Summer 2024/25 Season will begin on Saturday, November 2nd 2024. The Term 4 grades will consist of 7 weekends of cricket played up to and including Saturday, 14th December 2024. 

In 2024, the Term 1 grades will commence on Saturday, 8th February. 8 weekends of cricket will be played up to and including Saturday, 29th of March. 

Team Entry

Team entry to junior grades for Term 4 shall be by PlayHQ by Friday, October 25th 2023.

Fees will be payable to WBOPCA per term, upon invoice as follows:

Division 7 - Intermediate - $250 per team

Division 8 - Year 5 & 6 hardball - $250 per term

Division 9 - Year 3 & 4 softball - $200 per term

Division 10 - Year 1 & 2 softball - $170 per term

The goals:

Every player experiences success and joy, every week. Ultimately, cricket is FUN!

Every player has an opportunity to learn something, every week. 

Every player feels excited to return to the game, every week AND every season. 

The how:

By putting the player at the centre of the experience. Cricket association staff, club personnel, coaches, managers, umpires, and parents should make decisions in the best interests of each player. What the ADULT thinks is much less important than what the CHILD thinks. This can be challenging but it's important to talk to your team and your own children about what fun means to them, why they play cricket, and have honest discussions about what’s important...to them. 

By maximising opportunity. The playing conditions for each grade of junior cricket are designed to keep every player engaged most of the time. For example junior teams:

Play with fewer than the standard number of people on a team so that there is more field space to cover by each person which leads to more running around and more gaps in the field so the batters have a greater chance of hitting a boundary, or being able to run between the wickets which leads to a more frequent change of strike. 

Play on shorter wickets so that the bowlers can bowl more accurate, faster-paced balls. More regular pace on the ball will aid the batters in piercing the field and scoring boundaries. Batters will also have more opportunities to play defensive and attacking shots off both the back and front foot with a vertical bat because bowler are bowling a length conducive to this. 

The paper scoresheet linked here is ideally to be used for Divisions 8 and 9 alongside e-scoring on PlayHQ where possible. If not using PlayHQ, please send a screenshot of the scoresheet, or a simple result summary via text to 021 120 5066 (e.g. Team A 150/7 vs Team B 160/4) before 9pm on the Sunday following your game.

WBOPCA Junior Scoresheet

Scores do not need to be kept for Division 10.

For full Division 7 playing conditions, click here.

For the PlayHQ - Division 7 draw, click here. 

Division 7 Summary This grade is for children in Year's 7 and 8 at school.

• This grade is for primarily for children in Year's 7 and 8 at school
• Female players in Year 9 - 13 may also play in this grade.
• Children in Year 6 at school will be required to apply for a dispensation from WBOPCA to play in this grade. Further information on dispensations can be found in a later section on this webpage. 
• Children in Year 5 or below will not be permitted to play in Division 7. 
• Division 7 will be split into two pools - A and B.
• Clubs/schools will be able to initially decide which pool to enter their team in PlayHQ into based on ability & confidence of these players.
• WBOPCA recommends teams be created considering social and school connections, as well as experience and ability, as we believe that children love to play sport with their friends.
• WBOPCA may from time to time move a team from one pool to another to create fair and even matches and to avoid the 'bye'. Clubs/schools will be consulted first, should this need to occur.
• Games will commence at 8:30am on Saturday morning weekly at ground across Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Pāpāmoa, Te Puke, and Katikati.
• Division 7 games are played on artificial wickets.
• Cancellations will be made by team coaches and managers as appropriate before the match. Where necessary the 'home team' coach or manager is responsible for conducting any ground visits prior to playing or cancelling matches. From time to time clubs may cancel all games at particular fields based on their knowledge of conditions there. This may happen at for games at Pemberton Park and in Katikati. These cancellations will be posted on the individual club Facebook pages and WBOPCA's Facebook and Instagram accounts. 

For full Division 8 Playing Conditions, click here. 

For the PlayHQ - Division 8 draw, click here. 

Division 8 Summary

• This grade is primarily for children in Years 5 and 6 at school.
• Children in Year 4 at school will be required to apply for a dispensation from WBOPCA to play in this grade. Further information on dispensations can be found in a later section on this webpage.
• Children in Year 3 or below will not be permitted to play in Division 7.
• Division 8 will be split into two pools - A and B.
• Clubs/schools will be able to initially decide which pool to enter their team in PlayHQ into based on ability & confidence of these players.
• WBOPCA recommends teams be created considering social and school connections, as well as experience and ability, as we believe that children love to play sport with their friends.
• WBOPCA may from time to time move a team from one pool to another to create fair and even matches and to avoid the 'bye'. Clubs/schools will be consulted first, should this need to occur.
• Games will commence at 9:00am on Saturday morning's weekly at ground across Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Pāpāmoa, Te Puke, and Katikati.
• Division 8 games are played on artificial wickets.
• Cancellations will be made by team coaches and managers as appropriate before the match. Where necessary the 'home team' coach or manager is responsible for conducting any ground visits prior to playing or cancelling matches. From time to time clubs may cancel all games at particular fields based on their knowledge of conditions there. This may happen at for games at Pemberton Park and in Katikati. These cancellations will be posted on the individual club Facebook pages and WBOPCA's Facebook and Instagram accounts. 

For full Division 9 Playing Conditions, click here.

For the PlayHQ - Division 9 draw, click here. 

Division 9 Summary

• This grade is primarily for children in Years 3 and 4 at school.
• Children in Year 2 at school will be required to apply for a dispensation from WBOPCA to play in this grade. Further information on dispensations can be found in a later section on this webpage.
• Children in Year 1 or below will not be permitted to play in Division 10.
• Division 8 may be split into two pools - A and B.
• Clubs/schools will be able to initially decide which pool to enter their team in PlayHQ into based on ability & confidence of these players.
• WBOPCA recommends teams be created considering social and school connections, as well as experience and ability, as we believe that children love to play sport with their friends.
• WBOPCA may from time to time move a team from one pool to another to create fair and even matches and to avoid the 'bye'. Clubs/schools will be consulted first, should this need to occur.
• Games will commence at 9:00am on Saturday morning's on hand mown and/or painted wickets on grass outfields at Te Puke Domain, Blake Park, Pemberton Park, Fergusson Park, and Omokoroa Sports Field at Western Avenue.  Games in Katikati are likely to be on an artificial wicket at Moore Park. Occasionally artificial wickets at school grounds are also used. 
• Cancellations will be made by team coaches and managers as appropriate before the match. Where necessary the 'home team' coach or manager is responsible for conducting any ground visits prior to playing or cancelling matches. From time to time clubs may cancel all games at particular fields based on their knowledge of conditions there. This may happen at for games at Pemberton Park and in Katikati. These cancellations will be posted on the individual club Facebook pages and WBOPCA's Facebook and Instagram accounts.

For full Division 10 Playing Conditions, click here.

For the PlayHQ - Division 10 draw, click here. 

Notes for Division 10:

This grade is for children in Years 1 - 2 at school.

HOWEVER

It is strongly recommended that children in Years 1 - 2 at school attend Supersmash Hubs run by Northern Districts Cricket (information and links for this below).

Games will commence at 9:00am on Saturday morning weekly on hand mown wickets on grass outfields at Blake Park, Pemberton Park, Fergusson Parkand Alice Johnson Oval. Games may occasionally be scheduled in Te Puke, Omokoroa, or Katikati depending on team entries in this grade.

Cancellations will be made by team coaches and managers as appropriate before the match. Where necessary the 'home team' coach or manager is responsible for conducting any ground visits before playing or cancelling matches. From time to time clubs may cancel all games at particular fields based on their knowledge of conditions. This may happen at for games at Pemberton Park and in Katikati. These cancellations will be posted on the individual club Facebook pages and WBOPCA's Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Come along and give it a go! Fun, fast-paced game based activities with friends.

6-week programme running in both Term 4 2024 and Term 1 2025 with lots of offerings for Year 1 - 4, and Girls Year 5 - 8.

Click the SuperSmash Hub Logo to the left for registration options.

If you require any support in registration or have any questions, please contact Erin Berry - Erin@ndca.co.nz 

Western Bay of Plenty Cricket now has a Code of Conduct for all participants in any grade of cricket, including junior cricket. 

This Code of Conduct is detailed within this document:

WBOPCA Terms & Conditions

There is also a judicial process for junior cricket Code of Conduct breaches outlined in this document, and here below:

BREACHES OF THE JUNIOR CODE OF CONDUCT - COMPLAINT PROCEDURE

Whenever possible Coaches and Managers should make reasonable attempts to diffuse and resolve Code of Conduct issues on game day at the ground.

Also, many WBOPCA Clubs and Schools have active committees and their own Code of Conduct procedures and therefore may be able to deal with minor game related issues internally. Please reach out to these committees via their Club websites if you feel able to do so. 

Failing this, any player, coach, manager, umpires, parent, or spectator of WBOPCA controlled games who feel there is a breach of the above Code of Conduct, can choose to lodge a complaint to Western Bay of Plenty Cricket Association’s judicial panel.  Such notification must be made using this Google Form below within 3 days of the event. Any concerns regarding WBOPCA’s complaints procedure can be directed to the Board Chair - ranacollett@gmail.com.

WBOPCA Junior Code of Conduct Complaint Form

Lodged complaints will be adjudicated on by a judicial panel, composed of at least 2 WBOPCA board members. This committee will determine and communicate the adjudication timeframes for the complaint and responses. The defendant/s will be given the opportunity to read the details of the complaint and to respond in writing. The judicial panel will determine if a physical hearing is warranted but in any event, will consider the views expressed in writing by all parties. The committee may choose to approach other parties associated with the grade to establish if patterns of behaviour support or do not support the nature of the complaint.

The disciplinary committee may impose penalties to individuals and/or teams as follows:

First breach (of any nature): The individual/s, team, and club to which the team belongs shall receive a written warning of the consequences of a further breach from the WBOPCA Operations and Competitions Manager or other member of the judicial panel on WBOPCA’s behalf.

Second breach (of any nature): The individual/s, team, and club to which the team belongs may be required to engage in restorative and/or educational practices led by WBOPCA who may engage outside resources from Bay of Plenty Cricket Association, Northern Districts Cricket Association, Sport Bay of Plenty, and/or New Zealand Cricket for this purpose.

Third breach (of any nature): May result in the suspension of individual/s and or teams from WBOPCA controlled games for a period of time.

There may be instances where WBOPCA finds the Code of Conduct to have been breached in such a manner that demand an immediate escalation of penalty beyond that which is commensurate with the first and/or second breach above. Such instances would involve physical assault, acts of violence, use or supply of alcohol or other illegal substances, or use of language or gestures that offend, insult, disparage or vilify another person on the basis of that person’s race, religion, gender, colour, descent or origin. 

Any penalties imposed at any time will be communicated in writing to the defendant/s and to the Club or School associated with the defendant, and where felt appropriate, to others as well.

Western Bay of Plenty Cricket is affiliated to Bay of Plenty Cricket Association who are affiliated to Northern Districts Cricket Association and New Zealand Cricket above this. As such, WBOPCA is obliged to follow the guidance of New Zealand Cricket in determining the grade structures of junior cricket we offer.  New Zealand Cricket’s Junior Game framework and the Sport NZ Balance is Better principles encourage us to focus on fun and enjoyment for our tamariki. This means:

• Shorter pitch lengths to reflect the proportionate size of pitch to the player. 
• Smaller team numbers to ensure more action, more movement, and more inclusion for each player.  Shortened boundaries to bring to life boundary scoring and outfield catching. 
• Batting connects; both pairs cricket and/or ‘grace periods’ have been implemented to encourage fair opportunities of play and for batters to play with courage and freedom. 
• Encouraging friends to continue to play with friend

Cricket’s objective is for every individual to love the game, connect, contribute and reach their potential, whether that be their local patch of grass or representing the Fern.

WBOPCA follows NZC’s player centered approach with less emphasis placed on the result of the match as the key objectives for junior games are to make junior cricket more accessible, increase participants overall involvement, and accelerate skill development.

We appreciate that whilst the ANZ Junior Game is somewhat prescriptive in the format of cricket it advises we offer for each age group, we understand that there will always be players of exception, who may not be challenged enough within their own age group and therefore we offer dispensations to account for this, and other circumstances which decrease accessibility to the game. In most instances, these dispensations are only offered for players to move up one grade above their biological age under certain criteria listed below. Dispensations are not required for players playing below their biological age, although we advise clubs avoid this wherever possible.

WBOPCA has introduced junior dispensations so we have an accurate representation of the number of players playing in grades outside their biological age and the reasons why. We believe this information may guide us to develop the junior game more appropriately in our region and ensure our competitions maintain integrity.

Dispensation requests must be completed by the player’s legal parent or guardian but may be supported by a coach, club, or school representative. WBOPCA may also contact parents/guardians and clubs or schools to discuss the dispensation.

Requests must be received no later than five working days before the player’s first game in their dispensated grade. 

Requests can be made by completing this dispensation form.

All junior dispensations are made at the discretion of the WBOPCA Junior Cricket Subcommittee on a case-by-case basis. 

Junior Dispensation Criteria

• The parent/club/school can show evidence that the player will be joining a team with an older sibling and the family needs this support to enable them to access the game. This may be because a parent wishes to coach/manage more than one of their children, or because transport to/from games is an issue.
• The parent/club/school can demonstrate that this is the only suitable option within the club/school for a player. This may occur in situations where not enough players are registered within a club/school to field a team within a particular grade but the player could be included by participating in a higher grade. 
• The player has significant social connections with other players biologically older than them and has played cricket with these players previously, or wants to start playing cricket because of such friendships. 
• The player has been reclassified at school, or is otherwise an outlier in terms of their biological age mismatching their school year. 
• The parent/club/school can show evidence that the player’s ability exceeds that which is reasonable for the grade determined by their biological age. 

Click on the images below to view the junior pitches at four of our major Tauranga City Council venues. 

From left to right they are: Gordon Spratt Reserve/Alice Johnson Oval - Fergusson Park - Blake Park