Established in 1947, Māori boys Catholic boarding school Hato Pāora from pool C were the school to take the stage today.
The tātua worn by the team were designed by the late Kui Yvonne Marshall in 2010. The pattern is inspired by the kōwhaiwhai patterns in the Hato Pāora church. The design depicts unity and whānau.
The leaderof the group is kaitātaki tāne Ihaia Ropata from Ngāti Toa Rangatira.
The rōpū was taught under the guidance of past pupil and tutor Hona Black from Ngāi Tūhoe and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui.
Hato Paora are known for their entertaining poi, so it is no surprise that they chose to share their poi entitled “Taku poi e” online.
The poi was written by Hona Black in response to the change of rules made earlier in the year. The poi lists the many traditional uses of poi by men over the centuries in an effort to challenge the misconception that poi is the domain of the females only.