England Fencing Eligibility

Criteria for Selection to Represent England
Fencing in International Team or Individual
Championships

The rules for representing a home nation in Commonwealth events have changed.  England Fencing applies these rules across all of its representative competitions.

Currently we send representative teams to the Senior and Junior Commonwealth Fencing Federation Championships, the Senior Home International (5 Nations) and the Junior International (replacement for the Junior Home International).

The teams for the Student 5 Nations and the Veterans Commonwealth and Home Internationals are not currently included in these eligibility criteria.

Eligibility

You must be a British Citizen and eligible to hold a UK passport.

You then have the right to represent England Fencing provided that:

       a) You were born in England;

OR  b) You have a parent born in England;

OR  c) You are normally resident in the country and have been for a period of time (length of time depends on age and connection).

Key Changes to rules regarding Commonwealth representation

The CFF rules for eligibility to compete in CFF championships shall be as laid down in the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Constitution regarding eligibility to compete in the Commonwealth Games (Article 24 in the November 2007 Edition) except that in Article 24(5) the Executive Board referred to shall, for the time being, refer to the Executive of the CFF.’

This shall be implemented fully as of January 1^st 2009

The Commonwealth Games Federation Constitution can be found here

Any appeals under CGF Article 24(5) shall only be considered if lodged with the CFF Executive six calendar months prior to the start of Championships concerned.

Under the provisions of Article 24(5), an individual fencer (if U18 the fencer’s legal guardian), supported in writing by the Nation concerned, may apply to the CFF Executive to represent a Nation where neither the fencer nor his/her parents were born, on any of the following grounds:

He/she represented the Nation on his/her last occasion that he/she participated in a Commonwealth Fencing Federation Championships;

He/ she can show that they have a strong commitment to representing the Nation at national and international level and he/she has been ordinarily a resident of the Nation for a continuous period of two years immediately prior to the date of the Opening Ceremony of the Championships at which he/she hopes to participate in. For a junior fencer (under the age of 20 at midnight on 1^st. January of the year in question who has moved with his/her parents to take up permanent residence in a Nation, the ‘two year’ rule may be waived;

He/ she has a longstanding connection with the Nation through family, education, work or sport and at some time has resided in the Nation for a continuous period of at least 5 years.

If the application refers to competing in a Commonwealth Games event, then any dispensation granted by the CFF Executive is subject to any dispensation requirements laid down by the Commonwealth Games Federation.

Interim Provisions

Notwithstanding point 3 above, for the Commonwealth Junior Fencing Championships in February 2009, the only requirement shall be that the CFF Executive has sufficient time to consider any appeal.

Fencers who become ineligible to represent the country they have previously represented, by virtue of the CGF Articles, shall be entitled, without sanction, to EITHER represent the nation they are eligible to represent under CGF Article 24(2) OR continue to represent the country they have previously represented, but only at CFF championships. Fencers affected by this must either declare to the CFF Executive and the Nations involved their wish to be eligible for the Nation they are eligible to represent OR apply to the CFF Executive for special exemption, before 1^st. July 2009.

Selection of Team Staff and Officials

Team Staff and Officials who have registered an interest in selection in writing with the England Fencing office will be eligible for consideration.  The Executive Director concerned, in-conjunction with other Directors, the Team Manager or the Officials Officer as appropriate, will make the selection.

The selection of team staff and officials may take place after the selection of the fencers has taken place.

Preference may be given to candidates who have demonstrated an ability to work with teams, those with experience at national/ international events, level of current activity at competitions, those with a range of skills (e.g. weapons coached) and willing to take on more than one task, and those with fencers selected for the teams.

Appeals

Appeals over fencing team selection must be made in writing through the England Fencing office within 7 days of the selection being posted on the England web site.  The England Deputy President will convene an appeals panel, or the Board will appoint an independent panel, to consider the selection.  The panel’s decision is final.

There is no right of appeal over the selection of officials.

Code of Conduct

All fencers, team staff and officials will be required to sign a code of conduct.

Updated 1/3/2010 Ray Stafford