Tairawhiti schools well represented in national teams

Aerial shots: Lytton High School’s Darius Waititi-Leach, above, takes to the air for a shot against Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Horouta Wananga in the national secondary school ki o rahi championships. Pictures by Paul Rickard

Tairawhiti is well represented in the national teams chosen from the New Zealand Secondary School Ki o Rahi Championships played in Gisborne this week.

Two tournament teams were named at the prizegiving — a New Zealand mixed team and a New Zealand Maori mixed team.

Lytton High School student Ruby Westrupp was named the female player of the tournament.

The overall team winners were Auckland school Te Kura Maori o Nga Tapuwae, who defeated Waikato school Te Wharekura o Rakaumangamanga in the championship final.

Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Horouta Wananga claimed third place after beating local rivals Lytton High School in the playoff for third and fourth.

East Coast school Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Waiu o Ngati Porou were runners-up in the plate.

Aotearoa/New Zealand Mixed Secondary Schools Team 2018 —

Girls: Ruby Westrupp (Lytton High School), Ngamako Totorewa (Te Wharekura o Rakaumangamanga), Amelia Pasikala (Turanga Wahine Turanga Tane), Brooklyn Rogers (Te Kura Maori o Nga Tapuwae), Te Kotuku Tangohau-Brown (Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Horouta Wananga), Tayla Stone (Rotorua Girls’ High School), Moana Cook (Nga Tapuwae).

Boys: Napi Waipouri (Nga Tapuwae), Hemiona Nuku (Rakaumangamanga), Jean Luc Honetana (Nga Tapuwae), Genesis Bartlett-Tamatea (Lytton), Corey Howe (Rotorua Boys’ High School), Kereama Kihi-Kingi (Rakaumangamanga), Paora Leef (Nga Tapuwae).

Aotearoa/New Zealand Maori Mixed Secondary Schools Team 2018 —

Girls: Kiana Ria (Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Uri a Maui), Daisy-Lee Norman (Nga Tapuwae), Kaipo Olsen-Baker (Turanga Wahine Turanga Tane), Maia Rickard (Lytton), Raegan Robinson (Karamu High School), Gabby Wainohu (TWTT), Tiana Matatahi (Rakaumangamanga).

Boys: Xavier Te Tonga (Karamu), Jayden Herewini (Nga Tapuwae), Tyreke Casey (TWTT), Moses Christie (TWTT), Ahi Kaihe-Patuwai (Lytton), Kaea Hills (Horouta Wananga), Mowai Salu (Rakaumangamanga).