Frequently asked questions and the facts regarding WTNZ
In the many messages of support we continue to receive, we also field questions from members wanting clarification on the actual status of WT-style Taekwondo in New Zealand and the differences between ourselves as World Taekwondo New Zealand (WTNZ), and the organisation who now call themselves Taekwondo New Zealand (TNZ). We have compiled these into the following FAQ’s and will continue to update these and ensure the facts are out there for all:
Yes, WTNZ is the original TNZ which was established in 2005. The name change to WTNZ was registered in January 2020.
They are a re-branded version of an organisation previously called ‘New Zealand Taekwondo’ and before that were known as ‘New Zealand Elite Taekwondo’. They are not aligned with or related to WTNZ – the original TNZ.
The New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) does not recognise TNZ or WTNZ as neither organisation is a member of NZOC. To become a member of NZOC again, the sport will need to be unified under one Incorporated Society which is a key objective of WTNZ.
Sport New Zealand as a provider of funding for sport development in Aotearoa does not ‘recognise’ national or governing sports bodies anymore. It has indicated it will need to witness an extended period of stable administration before allocating more funds to our sport and WTNZ is committed to delivering on this.
Presently TNZ is recognised by both organisations and WTNZ is not. However, the real problem for TNZ is that it does not hold New Zealand Olympic Committee recognition which is a membership requirement under both World Taekwondo and International Olympic Committee regulations. This means TNZ cannot send any athletes to the 2024 Olympics.
As the previous national federation for New Zealand, WTNZ continues to maintain good relationships and communications with all key stake-holder organisations including the New Zealand Olympic Committee. WTNZ is committed to upholding this to seek out a unified pathway forward for the wider WT-style community in New Zealand.
These ‘elections’, which at the time were held under the auspices of WTNZ (the original TNZ), were not conducted in accordance with its constitution and as such were legally null and void.
Before, during and after the May 2021 elections, concerned sitting Interim Board members and WTNZ members repeatedly pointed out to World Taekwondo representatives and the WTNZ Interim Board that constitutional processes were not being followed. The New Zealand Olympic Committee and World Taekwondo Oceania also expressed similar concerns to World Taekwondo.
Regardless of this outcome World Taekwondo and certain members of the Interim Board opted not to revisit the election process or hold new elections in accordance with the WTNZ constitution. WT also obstructed the filing of WTNZ’s accounts and as a result WTNZ was temporarily struck off the register.
As soon as this happened certain members of the Interim Board decided to stand up another organisation, previously known as ‘‘New Zealand Elite Taekwondo’, rebrand it as Taekwondo New Zealand and position it as a ‘work-around’ to the matter of the unconstitutional elections.
Subsequently World Taekwondo chose to recognise this so called ‘new’ version TNZ as the National Body despite documented promises to all involved on the Interim Board and NZOC that this would never happen.
After being made aware that WTNZ had found itself compromised as an Incorporated Society due to external influences outside of its control the New Zealand Companies Office reinstated it without prejudice.
The board of the current version TNZ was not legally voted in. They are self-appointed. The constitution they say they were ‘voted’ in under, was not ratified before the May 2021 ‘elections’ were held – it was only done after the ‘elections’ were subsequently found to be unconstitutional. Hence, they are not a legally elected board. Nor are they representative of the wider WT-style New Zealand community as many clubs and organisations did not participate in the ‘elections’ either due to not being aware, or not being given further opportunity to do so after the ‘election’ outcome was determined unconstitutional.
WTNZ held proper elections on 27th February 2022 and, in accordance with its constitution, a new Executive Board was duly elected. Please visit our Executive Board Members page on this website for their names, positions and details.
World Taekwondo instructed the GMS to hand over all members private details and information to the new TNZ group who now hold all this private information. WTNZ has been advised this is a data and privacy breach under New Zealand Law and encourages anyone who is concerned about this to contact the New Zealand Privacy Commissioner.
The GMS is accessible for those wishing to compete or officiate internationally and it is up to individual persons or clubs if they wish to remain registered in this system and/or listed as a club under any organisation.
WTNZ maintains that TNZ has unfairly leveraged and politicised their administration of the GMS to incorrectly list clubs as members when clearly they are not, and to over-inflate their membership numbers to purport they are representative of the majority WT-style community in New Zealand. WTNZ will continue to expose, challenge and address this on behalf of its members.
We accept the levels of frustration over these ongoing issues which continue to exist in the wider WT-style community here in New Zealand. Our commitment to WTNZ members is that we are not ignoring these problems and are focused on finding an amicable way forward that can build a truly unified independent, modern and open organisation for everyone. This is our clear objective and goal.
Without a unified sport we cannot send athletes and officials to all pinnacle competitions. The New Zealand Olympic Committee have informed us that presently there is no pathway to the Olympics for New Zealand Taekwondo athletes. Put simply, no WT-style organisation in New Zealand, regardless of who else they may be recognised by, can send any athletes to the 2024 Olympics because our sport does not have NZOC membership. This should be unacceptable to everyone and on behalf of our members WTNZ will seek to forge a unified and inclusive pathway forward to overcome this situation.
Anyone should be able to belong to whichever organisation best aligns with their values and the needs of their club. And everyone should have fair unhindered access to local, national, international representation, development opportunities and certification – free of politics or exclusivity.
WTNZ’s commitment:
WTNZ will provide support to every Taekwondo practitioner and club in Aotearoa New Zealand who reaches out for help. We believe ‘Invitation Only’ tournaments and courses that come with heavy restrictions and obligations stifle development and are not conducive to unification. Hence, we are committed to making all our tournaments, certification courses and development events open to everyone, regardless of one’s affiliation.