{"id":579125,"date":"2026-08-24T20:08:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T20:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/579125\/"},"modified":"2026-08-24T20:08:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T20:08:09","slug":"water-polo-upheaval-second-chair-resigns-in-less-than-five-months-sport-integrity-commission-gives-update-on-investigation-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/579125\/","title":{"rendered":"Water polo upheaval: Second chair resigns in less than five months; Sport Integrity Commission gives update on investigation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Those allegations included claims of bullying and alleged matters arising from a troubled senior women\u2019s tour to Europe and Singapore last year.<\/a><\/p>\n

There have been claims and counter-claims about Water Polo New Zealand\u2019s handling of the complaints and the athletes directly involved.<\/p>\n

The Herald earlier obtained a 12-page letter written by several players which detailed allegations against other players and coaches.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember thinking this was the worst trip I [have] ever been on and that it was the worst experience of my life,\u201d an athlete said in the letter.<\/p>\n

A Herald investigation revealed the allegations involving the senior women\u2019s team<\/a> were a window into deeper, broader concerns about the state of the sport, with claims of selection favouritism, conflicts of interest, poor leadership, and \u2013 most seriously \u2013 fears for player welfare.<\/p>\n

In recent days, the Herald has sent further questions to Shine, asking about WPNZ\u2019s interactions with the Sport Integrity Commission.<\/p>\n

The Herald has also obtained a report written by a club chair and senior figure that raises issues around policy discrepancies within the sport. Those matters and that report continue to be investigated by the Herald.<\/p>\n

Feedback? News tip? Please email in confidence \u2013 shayne.currie@nzme.co.nz<\/p>\n

Shine told his board members and club chairs in an email on Monday night that he was resigning with \u201csadness\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the most recent AGM, I was clear that my continued service was dependent on a meaningful improvement in conduct and behaviour, together with visible support for the board, management and those working to progress the sport,\u201d Shine wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere has been genuine and greatly appreciated support from many members, staff, players, officials, clubs and other participants. <\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, a small but persistent minority has continued to engage in a form of conduct that I had hoped would end.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the latest media inquiries \u2013 \u201cfollowing the unauthorised disclosure of well-intentioned materials provided within the club chairs forum\u201d \u2013 had confirmed that this conduct was continuing and it made his position \u201cno longer sustainable\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough the materials were designed to generate challenge and discussion, their disclosure and the ulterior purpose behind their disclosure continue to undermine the trust necessary to address matters openly and effectively. <\/p>\n

\u201cMembers will recall this is not the first time this behaviour has occurred, previous instances included unauthorised recording and distribution of confidential materials.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe 2025 senior New Zealand women’s water polo team and former WPNZ chair Alex Howieson (inset left) and WPNZ chief executive Jan Shearer (inset right). Illustration \/ Oliver Rusden; Main picture \/ Getty<\/p>\n

Shine said he remained committed to the \u201cwellbeing and future of water polo in New Zealand\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cI will therefore provide assistance to enable an orderly transfer of matters, including the handover of relevant information and responsibilities to the board or its nominee.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sport Integrity Commission update<\/p>\n

In a statement to the Herald last week, the Sport Integrity Commission said it could not comment on the progress, or specifics, of its investigation.<\/p>\n

The Herald understands the inquiry was expected to be completed by now.<\/p>\n

\u201cInvestigations under section 32 of the Integrity Sport and Recreation Act are complex, often sensitive, and do take time,\u201d said a commission spokeswoman. <\/p>\n

\u201cOther factors that can impact timelines include the number of complainants, the privacy rights of individuals (including whether they wish to be identified), and natural justice rights for those facing allegations. <\/p>\n

\u201cParties may also choose to explore alternative dispute resolution options such as mediation alongside an investigation, and the commission will look to support that option if it is appropriate. Such processes must be handled with care and can take time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"NewNew Zealand competed against China at last year’s ill-fated World Aquatic Championships in Singapore in 2025. Photo \/ Getty<\/p>\n

The Herald understands that some individuals within water polo may have elected not to be interviewed by the commission. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn our investigations, we rely heavily on the voluntary provision of information,\u201d said the commission spokeswoman.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people will choose to engage in person, others in writing, while others choose not to participate. While we cannot comment on the involvement of specific individuals in our investigation process, we can confirm that we are actively engaging with Water Polo New Zealand and they are responding to our enquiries.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a statement earlier on Monday evening to the Herald \u2013 before he announced his resignation \u2013 Shine said: \u201cWPNZ\u2019s position throughout has been one of ongoing co-operation with the SIC\u201d.<\/p>\n

He said WPNZ had not declined to participate, \u201cnor has it advised or instructed any current or former staff member, officeholder or representative not to participate\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs is entirely usual in a quasi-statutory inquiry, prospective participants have sought appropriate assurances and procedural guardrails, including greater detail about the matters and questions they are expected to address. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is incorrect to characterise such reasonable procedural requests as a refusal or declinature to meet with the SIC. WPNZ remains committed to co-operating appropriately with the inquiry. No further comment will be provided.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his later resignation email, he wrote: \u201cIt has been a privilege to serve the sport and to work alongside the many people who contribute their time and energy, often voluntarily, for the benefit of players, referees, coaches, clubs and supporters. <\/p>\n

\u201cI sincerely hope that members reflect on the expectations set at the AGM and support the incoming leadership by holding each other to account and demonstrating the standards of conduct, mutual respect and collective responsibility that are essential for the organisation and the sport to progress.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shine has been contacted for further comment.<\/p>\n

In an email last Friday, in response to a question about whether he planned to stay as chair, Shine said: \u201cAs you will have noted, I am the current chair of WPNZ. Together with my fellow directors, I perform this role on a voluntary basis because of our shared commitment to supporting the sport and helping it progress for the benefit of players, referees, clubs and supporters throughout New Zealand.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom a continuity perspective, and subject to the support of members and stakeholders and work commitments, I currently expect to continue in the chair role until the next AGM [next year]. The appointment of chair occurs following each AGM.\u201d<\/p>\n

Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand\u2019s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Those allegations included claims of bullying and alleged matters arising from a troubled senior women\u2019s tour to Europe…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":578914,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[9526,37432,2371,1342,5504,20733,10938,78,62957,12898,33070,7494,3234,111,139,69,5908,90,74231,18994,17363,8466,5843,2022,213,131,1803,51560,376],"class_list":["post-579125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-another","tag-chair","tag-commission","tag-five","tag-following","tag-gives","tag-herald","tag-in","tag-integrity","tag-investigation","tag-leaks","tag-less","tag-months","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-official","tag-on","tag-polo","tag-resigned","tag-resigns","tag-second","tag-senior","tag-sport","tag-sports","tag-than","tag-update","tag-upheaval","tag-water"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=579125"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579125\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/578914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=579125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=579125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=579125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}