Turanga Wahine Turanga Tane top again winning 2018 Ki o Rahi regional championships

CORNERED: Ahipene Patuwai-Kaihe (left) and Maia Rickard (right) of Lytton 1 zone in on Kayleb Te Whare of TKKM o Horouta Wananga.

KI O RAHI

The dominance of Turanga Wahine Turanga Tane in ki o rahi was further established when they won the 2018 Turanga Secondary Schools Ki o Rahi Regional Championships on Friday.

Turanga Wahine Turanga Tane (Gisborne Girls’ and Boys’ High) entered four teams into the competition, with their No.1 team claiming top spot.

Second place went to Lytton High School 1, and third went to Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Horouta Wananga.

Rounding out the top four were TKKM o Nga Uri a Maui.

These four teams will represent Turanga at the National Secondary Schools Championships, which will be held at Gisborne’s Rectory field on April 16 and 17.

Turanga Health organised this year’s regionals. Kaiwhakahaere (event co-ordinator) Shane Luke said it was a great day for everyone involved.

“It’s a great, positive kaupapa for our rangatahi (young people). It’s very competitive, and it’s a good outlet for them to showcase their talents.”

He said it had been a good turnout — 11 teams competed and the schools represented were Turanga Wahine Turanga Tane, Lytton, Nga Uri a Maui, Horouta Wananga and Campion College.

Turanga Wahine Turanga Tane have won the secondary schools national title twice — they were the first team to win it back to back (2011 and 2012).

They are also the most consistent team, having finished in the top three every year since the competition began.

Lytton, too, are past champions, winning the title in 2015, when the competition was last hosted in Gisborne.