Benefits of NZ grassroots deal

New Zealand Cricket boss Justin Vaughan suggests a new long-term grassroots funding scheme of $65 million will help minor associations such as Southland plan better in coming years.

NZC this week announced a new eight-year agreement between it and the Players Association that ultimately decides where New Zealand Cricket sends its money, through to 2018.

Included in the package was the allocation of a guaranteed $65m funding for grassroots cricket in New Zealand during the next eight years.

Vaughan estimated they had spent between $40m and $45m between 2002 and 2010.

He believed the extra $20m wouldn't result in a significant financial boost for associations like Southland, but he said the major benefit was through the certainty the new agreement would bring.

Under the previous agreement, the allocation of money towards the grassroots arm of cricket fluctuated each year in New Zealand.

Now associations will know how much money they would be allocated each year for the next eight years.

The grassroots segment of NZC includes school cricket, club cricket, through to the Hawke Cup competition.

Vaughan said grassroots money was allocated to the six major associations, which then worked through the process of distributing it to the 22 minor associations as they saw fit.

The Southland Cricket Association falls under the Otago Cricket Association banner, which also oversees cricket in the Dunedin, Otago Country and North Otago areas.

Otago Cricket Association's grassroots funding for the Southland Cricket Association includes providing the finance to employ general manager Ian Mockford and development officer Emma Campbell.

Kevin Cooper's position as Southland Cricket Association coaching director and groundsman is funded by Southland Cricket itself, through the Invercargill Licensing Trust.

- © Fairfax NZ News