PRIDE, HONOUR, RESPECT: Te Mana Kuratahi 2017, the national primary schools kapa haka festival began yesterday with a mass powhiri at Houhoupiko, Gisborne’s Showgrounds Park. Defending champions Te Wharekura o Rakaumanga present the trophies back to the competition.
Pictures by Rebecca Grunwell
PRIDE, HONOUR, RESPECT: Te Mana Kuratahi 2017, the national primary schools kapa haka festival began yesterday with a mass powhiri at Houhoupiko, Gisborne’s Showgrounds Park. Defending champions Te Wharekura o Rakaumanga present the trophies back to the competition.
Pictures by Rebecca Grunwell
PRIMARY school kapa haka teams from all corners of New Zealand have arrived to compete in Te Mana Kuratahi 2017, the national primary schools’ kapa haka festival.
Over the next week, Rugby Park will host the country’s largest largest kapa haka competition.
Fifty-seven teams are competing and thousands of visitorsare expected, including iwi leaders, MPs and officials.
The event was under way yesterday with a mass powhiri at Houhoupiko, Gisborne Showgrounds Park, before the first team took the stage, defending champions Te Wharekura o Rakaumangamanga of Huntly.
Rongowhakaata leader Taharakau Stewart welcomed the visitors to Houhoupiko, an area of Rongowhakaata iwi.
Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Uri a Maui perform tomorrow at 8.45am.Te Roopu Kapa Haka o Puhi Kaiti (Kaiti School) perform tomorrow at 1.35pm, followed at 2pm by Te Kura o Manutuke (Manutuke School), who have won the competition twice.Wairoa school Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Ngati Kahungunu o Te Wairoa will perform at 11.25am on Thursday.They will be followed at 11.55am by Nga Mokopuna o Te Hokowhitu a tu (a combined team of students from Hatea-a-rangi School and TKKM o Nga Taonga Tuturu ki Tokomaru).The last of this district’s teams will be Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Horouta Wananga, who take the stage on Friday at 9.45am.
