Building relationships

spinning it wide: East Coast and Gisborne students took part in the Ngata Sevens, where the rugby and netball skills of district youth were on display. Gisborne Boys' High School‘s Phoenix Crosby prepares to pass as Hans Kururangi, of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngati Porou o Te Waiu, gives chase. In support of Crosby is James Hamblyn. Pictures by Tracey Harkess

Schools and kura from Gisborne travelled to Ruatoria on Wednesday to take part in the Ngata Sevens.

Ngata Sevens consists of rangatahi (youth) playing rugby and netball with the help of the Gisborne Netball Centre and Ngāti Porou East Coast Rugby.

About 150 rangatahi took part. They came from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Waiu o Ngāti Porou, Ngata Memorial College, Gisborne Girls' High School, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Uri a Māui, Gisborne Boys' High, Lytton High and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Horouta Wānanga.

“We really appreciated the schools from Turanga travelling to Ruatoria to take part,” Ngata College kaiako matua Wayne Palmer said.

“Traditionally, Ngata Sevens is a kaupapa where the schools of Turanga would travel to the Coast once a year to show their appreciation to the Coast schools for travelling to Turanga for other sporting events. It was a great day and we've had awesome feedback all round, especially from the rangatahi.”

Ngata Sevens was due to be held in August but it was postponed twice and almost cancelled for 2022.

Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti manawakura adviser Shyla-Drew Taiapa said organisers were happy to be able to break the drought after two years due to Covid-19 and weather conditions, and give Tairāwhiti rangatahi an opportunity to come and celebrate whakawhanaungatanga (the building of relationships).

“What better way to do it than with sports,” she said.

Ngata Sevens wasn't only about getting active, and taking part in sport, it was about whakawhanaungatanga.

Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti youth development adviser Iti Kahurangi Takurua-Keelan said the presence of these schools at this special occasion allowed the key component of the day — whakawhanaungatanga — to blossom.

Events such as the Ngata Sevens made possible the interaction of Gisborne and East Coast schools, he said.

“Ngata Sevens was a success for both the rangatahi and the hapori (community).”