Dannevirke kī-o-rahi team excels nationally

The champion Dannevirke Kī o Rahi ki Tamaki nui a Rua team.

Our young people have found a strong passion for kī-o-rahi - especially in Dannevirke. Many of our young people were introduced to this traditional Māori sport through their local school or high school.

Over the past three years, Dannevirke High School had been performing at high levels of intensity - coming either first second or third in their local regionals and coming in the top seven every year at nationals.

When the local high school showed no interest in pursuing and investing in this kaupapa, the rangatahi decided to form their own personal team calling it Kī o Rahi ki Tamaki nui a Rua.

With the help from our staff and youth leaders taking trainings in their personal time, supplying uniforms and a kī-o-rahi kit to train with and fully funding the participation in competitions throughout the North Island, this team is now in the process of becoming a club team. It has not only local rangatahi but players from Palmerston North wanting to join.

This group of roughly 20 rangatahi from all different walks of life train twice a week (sometimes three times a week) to develop the skills and knowledge needed. For most of these rangatahi this is not only a place to enjoy the sport they love, but a place where they can be themselves, feel valued as a person and a part of something.

This is very important for young people's mental health as living in a generation of internet, gaming and television young people come to take care of their hauora tinana (physical health) and sometimes to open up to our staff if something is going on for them.

With their love and dedication for this sport and some funding investment from Ministry of Youth Development (MYD) they travelled to Auckland on October 10 last year to compete in the Iwi of Origin, playing seven other iwi (mainly adults). This was all very new to them however they played their hearts out – eventually making the final and becoming the Champions of Iwi of Origin 2019.

They continued their journey to the Ngāti Kahungunu AGM in Hastings in November – again playing other hapū/marae from within the Ngāti Kahungunu region and winning all games. At this competition the team were asked to enter the kī-o-rahi national Tournament that was held in Huntly in February. Placing third overall nationally, this group of rangatahi displayed true mana in a very confronting and competitive adult competition.

They are now back in Dannevirke and haven't given up, helping their local high school get on their feet by supporting them at trainings on their way to the 2020 kī-o-rahi nationals in Waitangi this coming April holidays.