Last updated: 25 March

This advice will be updated regularly as new government requirements are established. Please ensure the most up-to-date version is referred to before planning an activity. 

All primary and secondary students can participate in school sport and recreation regardless of their vaccination status. This includes intra and inter school sport and those representing their school in a club or community competition on and off the school site.

Most sport and recreation activities are classified as Gatherings. Gathering examples in your setting include sport that takes place outside of school hours or off school sites; a netball training after school or a First XV fixture between two schools on a Saturday. 

For specific guidance about sport and recreation Events (including how to work out if your activity meets the criteria of an Event under the CPF), see Sport NZ’s specific guidance.  Event examples in your setting may include School Sport NZ Tournament Week events, a multi-school athletics competition at a Council venue or a regional kapa haka competition.

From 26 March changes to the Red setting of the CPF apply to this guidance:

• There are no capacity limits for outdoor sport and recreation Gatherings, when vaccine passes are required.
• Indoors Gatherings have a capacity limit of 200 people per defined space when vaccine passes are required.
• Capacity limits for non MVP Gatherings remain at 25, however as students involved in school sport are treated as if they are vaccinated this situation is unlikely to arise.
• You do not need to wear face masks outdoors but need to continue wearing them in most indoor settings.

When parts of New Zealand enter into the Orange setting of the CPF, there will be no capacity limits for indoor and outdoor sport and recreation Gatherings.

From 4 April My Vaccine Passes will no longer be required, and the education vaccination mandate ends (i.e. there will be no requirement for those working in and for schools to be vaccinated).  

The delivery of Sport, Active Recreation and Play opportunities typically involves multiple agencies with different expectations and policies about the application of the CPF – these include event organisers, venue and facility owners/operators (including schools/kura) and sport and recreation organisations.  These expectations, and roles and responsibilities, should be negotiated between the parties and represented in a Health and Safety Plan or similar agreement (Health and Safety Guidance for School Sport).

Additional Information 

These guidelines should be read in conjunction with advice from Sport NZ and the Ministry of Education about the application of the CPF.  If you have any questions or need an area clarified, please email us at covid19response@sportnz.org.nz. 

• Sport NZ CPF Guidance                                                        
• Frequently Asked Questions 
• COVID-19 Protection Framework – Ministry of Education

For FAQs specific to sport in schools, download the guidance document below.

School sport and recreation advice 25.3

pdf - 245 KB