Groms

2022 Sea Harvest Western Cape Grommet Games

supported by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture

Muizenberg Corner – March 26th & 27th 2022

PREVIEW

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic the annual Grommet Games will once again be run as three separate Provincial events.

These three contests will take place at:

·       Surfers Corner in Cape Town on March 26th & 27th.

Surfers from Cape Town, Cape Winelands and Eden will participate in the Western Cape Grommet Games.

·       Gonubie in East London on March 27th

Surfers from Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay will participate in the Eastern Cape Grommet Games.

·       Dairy Beach in Durban on March 26th & 27th

Surfers from Ugu, eThekweni and Ilembe will participate in the KZN Grommet Games.

WESTERN CAPE INFORMATION

The 2022 Western Cape Grommet Games is an Entry Level Provincial Surfing Event for boys and girls in the Under 8, Under 10, Under 12, under 14 and Under 16 age groups.

The ABSOLUTE objective of the Grommet Games is to demonstrate Surfing South Africa’s and its eight Districts’ continued Commitment to the transformation & development at grass roots level.

Selections of teams must adhere to Surfing South Africa targets and selection criteria.

The most important and overriding focus of the event is the creation of opportunities for young surfers from disadvantaged backgrounds to represent their Districts in this unique tournament..

PARTICIPATION rather than COMPETITION is the major objective at the Grommet Games.

In terms of COVID 19 regulations, ALL participants in the Grommet Games MUST register as SSA members online at www.surfingsouthafrica.co.za

Team members who are not registered will be unable to compete.

CONTEST OVERVIEW

Participation remains the focus for the Grommet Games. Unfortunately, due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, only athletes and staff are permitted in the Contest area.

Covid restrictions also mean that there will be no Opening Function.

The contest will consist of:

Individual heats in each Division.

The Team with the highest total points will win the SEA HARVEST TEAM TROPHY.

The points for the SEA HARVEST TROPHY will be determined from the points scored by each eligible surfer in the competition.

FORMAT

Due to COVID Protocols no spectators are permitted in the Contest area.

The Format will be as follows (this is based on three full teams attending)

DAY ONE

U10 B & G – 4 heats

U12 B & G – 8 heats

U14 B & G – 8 heats

U16 B & G – 8 heats

TOTAL 28 heats

DAY TWO

U8 B & G – 2 heats

U10 B & G – 2 heats

U12 B & G – 6 heats

U14 B & G – 6 heats

U16 B & G – 6 heats

TOTAL 22 heats

TEAM LISTS

Team lists are required by no later than MARCH 20th so that heats and formats can be compiled and circulated. We will not be using LIVEHEATS for this event.

Please email these team names to surfingsouthafrica@gmail.com

ENTRY FEES

There is no Entry Fee for the Grommet Games.                                                              

2022 Grommet Games Team Transformation criteria

SSA remains committed to the transformation of surfing in South Africa.

In order to meet SSA transformation objectives, specific selection targets MUST be the priority of Districts when selecting their teams for the respective 2021 Western Cape Grommet Games.

Districts that are unable to meet the required transformation numbers may not include non-transformation surfers to make up a full team.

All transformation surfers and officials must be indicated with an asterisk on team lists.

TEAM SELECTION CRITERIA

1. The OVER-RIDING rule is that a surfer may only compete ONCE in the Grommet Games.

2. The only exception to this rule applies to surfers who have competed previously in the U8 & U10 age groups at a Grommet Games.

HOWEVER, they may ONLY represent their District at the Grommet Games for a second time if they have NOT surfed in any division at the SA Junior Championships.

3. A surfer who has competed in the SA Junior Champs or SA Champs in any Division as a member of their District Team or as a member of the SA Development Academy Team may NOT compete in a Grommet Games again. This rule applies to both transformation and non-transformation surfers.

4. Surfers who have competed in or even reached the final in the U12 Division at an SAST in any year prior to the 2022 event MAY compete in the Grommet Games as long as they have only competed in the U8 or U10 Division of a previous Grommet Games.

7. However if they have competed in U8 & U10 Divisions and then subsequently competed in the SA Junior Champs in the U12, U14, U16 or U18 Divisions they may NOT compete in the Grommet Games for a second time even if they are still U8 or U10. In summary, once a surfer has competed in the SA Junior Championships they may not compete in ANY Division at the Grommet Games

8. Any surfer who has participated in a National Team selection camp or National

selection trial is no longer eligible to compete in the Grommet Games.

9. Local surf clubs, surf schools and outreach projects that draw their members from disadvantaged communities, should be canvassed and requested to enter their surfers in District trials held to choose teams for the Grommet Games.

10. Districts that do not comply with the transformation requirements may not fill these places in their teams with non- transformation surfers.

11. The SSA GM should be contacted if clarity is required regarding any Team selection criteria. If there is any doubt regarding a selection please contact him for a ruling before announcing the team.

12. PLEASE NOTE: The onus is on the Districts to adhere to these rules when selecting teams and SSA is counting on Districts to ensure that the rules are adhered to. It is impossible for SSA to monitor whether every surfer selected is within the rules.

13. It is the District’s responsibility to ensure that the rules are adhered to and important that the Team Managers are aware of these rules.

TEAM SIZES FOR THE 2022 GROMMET GAMES

ALL DISTRICTS MUST ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING PARTICIPATION TARGETS

At least ten (10) surfers from each District’s transformation programme must be included in the team.

Teams that fail to achieve this target may not include surfers who are not part of their transformation programme as replacements. 

The exception is if they make use of the Flexibility Policy.

At least one member of Management must represent the District’s transformation programme.

TEAM SIZES

1 x U8 Boy        may not turn 9 in 2022

1 x U8 Girl        may not turn 9 in 2022

2 x U10 Girl      may not turn 11 in 2022

2 x U10 Boys    may not turn 11 in 2022

3 x U12 Boys    may not turn 13 in 2022

3 x U12 Girls     may not turn 13 in 2022

3 x U14 Boys    may not turn 15 in 2022

3 x U14 Girls     may not turn 15 in 2022

3 x U16 Boys    may not turn 17 in 2022

3 x U16 Girls     may not turn 17 in 2022

TEAM SIZE (excluding management) = 24

TEAM MEMBER’s unique SSA Membership numbers must be indicated when submitting names.

Transformation surfers are not required to pay a membership fee but MUST register online as an SSA member

Transformation Team members must be indicated with an asterisk.

FLEXIBILITY PROTOCOL

The Board of SSA has added a Flexibility Policy to ensure that all Districts are able to attend the Grommet Games with full teams that reflect the transformation targets. The Board believes that it would be irresponsible and unfair to force districts to include U8 and U10 surfers in their teams, if these surfers are not confident or ready to compete. The Board does not wish to diminish the team numbers and transformation targets and with this in mind has created a policy to cater for districts that are unable to include U8 or U10 surfers in their teams, allowing them to replace these surfers with additional numbers in the U12 & U14 Divisions only. In order to maintain fairness when it comes to point’s allocation,only the top two surfer’s points will count to the team score and the replacement surfer points will be halved. If there are four surfers in a division (3 plus a replacement for the U8 or U10), only two surfers will receive full points and the replacement will receive half points. The fourth surfer will not receive any points.

January 26th, 2022