National Recurve Program
The National Recurve Program (NRP) is the primary component of Archery Australia’s current strategy to deliver athlete support which will assist us in producing future Recurve Archery Champions at benchmark events including World Archery Championships and Olympic Games, and Champions at the World Archery Youth Championships.
The purpose of the NRP is to provide a system of support for Archery Australia’s leading Recurve archers in a structured, sequential and transparent manner that supports the athletes in achieving performances which are aligned to Archery Australia’s published performance goals. The NRP has three distinct components:
- National Squad
- National Development Squad
- National Youth Squad
The NRP recognises that Federal Government funding through the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and State/Territory Government funding through the NSW Institute of Sport, Victorian Institute of Sport and other National Institute Network (NIN) partners for high performance Archery, is directed solely at Olympic and Paralympic disciplines.
The ultimate objective of the NRP is to win medals at World Championships, Olympic Games, World Cups and World Youth Championships by supporting identified athletes within the program via the NSW Institute of Sport, Victorian Institute if Sport, other NIN partners and the Archery Australia HP Pathways Program.
The NRP whilst open to all members within Archery Australia that qualify, has two major programs in Sydney and Melbourne which are managed in partnership with NSWIS and VIS. NRP athletes not based in Sydney or Melbourne will be nominated for individual athlete scholarships in their home State/Territory, however the awarding of these scholarships is determined by the State/Territory Institute/Academy of Sport in the relevant State/Territory. Athletes do not require a State/Territory Institute/Academy of Sport scholarship to be selected in the NRP. The NRP is managed on a day-to-day basis by Archery Australia’s High-Performance Manager (HPM) who reports to the Archery Australia Board of Management.
The NRP consists of three squads of athletes that provides a clearly structured pathway which athletes are able to progress through as they further develop their skills and performances. The entrance criteria for each of these tiers has been designed to reflect current world-class scores and align with Sport Australia’s Athlete classification strategy meaning that athletes are eligible to receive more support as they progress through the tiers. The tables below provide a brief summary of each Tier. Athletes are able to enter the program at any level, National, Development or Youth, provided they meet the published selection criteria.
National Squad
| Tier 1 Men 675 Women 660 |
World Class – Athletes who in the opinion of the HPC have demonstrated their ability to challenge or have actually achieved a recent podium position in top International Competition. |
| Tier 2 Men 665 Women 650 |
International – Athletes who in the opinion of the HPC are competitive in international competition and have the potential to progress to World Class within the next two years. |
| Tier 3 Men 655 Women 640 |
National – Athletes who in the opinion of the HPC are competitive at the National Level and are ready for international exposure under direction of the High Performance Unit. |
National Development Squad
| Tier 4 Men 645 Women 630 |
Development – Athletes who in the opinion of the HPC are considered to be emerging and have the potential to progress through the tiers in the coming years due to demonstrated commitment. |
| National Youth Squad | |
| Youth Squad – Junior Men 630 Women 610 |
Junior – Athletes who in the opinion of the HPC have demonstrated the potential to progress through to the Development Squad in the coming years. |
| Youth Squad – Cadet Men (60m) 640 or (70m) 612 Women (60m) 615 or (70m) 582 |
Cadet – Athletes who in the opinion of the HPC have demonstrated the potential to progress through to the Development Squad in the coming years. |
In addition to the three squad components of the NRP, the AA Pathways Program provides an opportunity for accelerated growth for athletes selected in the Pathways program. It is expected there will be a strong connection between the NRP and Pathways Program, and the majority of athletes will graduate into an NRP squad by meeting the published criteria. The Pathways Program is funded independently of the NRP by the AIS Performance Pathways Unit.
For information regarding the Pathways Program visit (new pathways document, coming soon).
Applications to join the NRP
Athletes wishing to apply for the NRP should firstly get a copy of the NRP document Policy document and review it carefully paying special attention to the performance requirements, eligibility requirements and expectations of athletes in the program. The program is demanding and requires dedication, commitment and time. Only athletes who are willing to make that commitment should apply.
2023 National Recurve Program applications
Each year a national event may be identified or an NRP Trial held, for athletes wishing to be considered for selection. For selection in the 2023 NRP the identified national event is the 2022 National Target Championships, 29 September to 3 October 2022. Performances in the WA720 Round, Team Matchplay and Individual Matchplay at the NTC, along with scores from any QRE’s and international competitions in 2022, will be considered when selecting the 2023 NRP.
All 2022 NRP athletes will be contacted directly via email when a call is made for applications for the 2023 intake. Any athlete wishing to be considered for the 2023 NRP who is not a member of the 2022 NRP must submit an application form. This EOI will be advertised in Archery News sent to all members in good time prior to the submission date.
An expression of interest form for the 2023 NRP is available here 2023 EOI and must be submitted to hppadmin@archeryaustralia.org
Review
Archery Australia’s High Performance Committee (HPC) will review the membership of the NRP on 1 January and 1 July each year. At this time the HPM will
(a) review any applications to join the NRP and
(b) review the performances and compliance of existing NRP athletes.
Recommendations will then be forwarded to the HPC for endorsement. Once this process is complete all athletes will receive formal correspondence confirming the outcome of their application and/or their current status in the NRP.
