Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae has come out on top to win the 2021 New Zealand Secondary Schools Kī o Rahi National Champions.
Hosted in Te Tai Tokerau from April 21 to April 23, the event saw 32 schools compete in the traditional Māori sport at Waitangi.
The competition
On day one of the competition, the 32 teams split across four pools of eight. Each team played seven games throughout the day.
Two seven-minutes halves gave each team 14 minutes to score as many points as possible.
The top two teams in each pool then moved into the championship round.
Those who finished in third or fourth place, qualified for the Kī o Rahi New Zealand Secondary Schools Cup, those who finished in fifth or sixth competed for the Kī o Rahi New Zealand Secondary Schools Plate, and those who finished in seventh and eighth place went on to compete for the Kī o Rahi New Zealand Secondary Schools Bowl.
Placings
In the Bowl Competition, Okaihau College came out winners.
The Plate Division was won by TKKM o Te Waiū o Ngāti Porou.
The Cup Division was won by Lindisfarne College & Napier Girls
In the championship pool, Te Wharekura o Rakaumangamanga of Huntly and Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae of Māngere East came out on top to face each other in the finals.
This meant for the fourth consecutive Secondary School Kī o Rahi Nationals, Te Wharekura o Rakaumangamanga and Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae went head to head for the championship title.
The final saw Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae win 11 - 4 and they were crowned champions for the third time in four years.
For the full results, click here.
KC Maaka from the Tai Tokerau Kī o Rahi Nationals organising expressed thanks to Te Tii Marae, QRC Tai Tokerau Resort College, Ngati Hine Health Trust, Anga Mua Te Rarawa and Te Reo o Te Tai Tokerau and Te Tai Tokerau Kī o Rahi Nationals for hosting the schools, putting on kai, providing time, resources and kaimahi to help run the event.
Maaka also says, “Big ups to our referees for their overseeing of the games from Kahungunu and Tāmaki Makaurau. Bunning's Kaikohe for sponsoring equipment and prize packs for teams.”
The 2022 New Zealand Secondary School Kī o Rahi Nationals are set to be hosted Te Arawa in the Bay of Plenty.