NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Kahu

More than 1500 tauira (students) take part in secondary school waka ama champs in Rotorua

By Ashleigh McCaull, RNZ
RNZ·
4 Apr, 2023 06:47 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Tauranga Girls' College students in action at the Secondary School Waka Ama Nationals on Blue Lake in Rotorua.
Tauranga Girls' College students in action at the Secondary School Waka Ama Nationals on Blue Lake in Rotorua.

Tauranga Girls' College students in action at the Secondary School Waka Ama Nationals on Blue Lake in Rotorua.

Teen waka ama paddlers have their sights set on further glory, after the high school champs in Rotorua.

More than 1500 tauira from across the motu paddled on Blue Lake for the first time since 2021.

Hamilton Boys’ High School dominated in the top ranking category for the Under-19s coming first in their six seated 250 metre and 500m sprints.

It was Year 13 Rico Kelton’s second time competing at the secondary nationals and being able to win two races with his team was a rewarding moment.

“I could tell the boys were feeling super proud, yeah the energy was there and the boys were just super happy. It was very tight, all boys could tell by the other schools that they were coming after us. You could tell the pressure was there but we just stuck to our game plan and then hoped for the best,” Kelton said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The right mindset was the key, he said.

“We pretty much started off the water, telling all the boys to bring their A-game and we wouldn’t mix and mingle with those other schools, we’d just stay under our tent and focus, relax and get ready for our races.”

Winners at 2023 Secondary School Waka Ama Nationals.
Winners at 2023 Secondary School Waka Ama Nationals.

He was now trying to find a club so he could compete at the Waka Ama national sprint champs next year.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Maia Campbell, 16, the current world champion for Under-16 and 19 sprints, has his sights set on the next month’s long-distance champs.

The Tai Rāwhiti teen, who is the son of Kiwi Campbell - one of the biggest names in Waka Ama - won his first 250m sprint last week.

But Cyclone Gabrielle made training difficult.

Read More

  • Waka Ama Secondary School Nationals take over Blue ...
  • Whanganui City College lead success at Waka Ama Secondary ...
  • Kura paddlers return to Rotorua for waka ama nationals ...
  • Dozens of Northland paddlers competing at 33rd annual ...
  • Far North youth to host waka ama tournament at Lake ...
  • Local Focus: Waka ama helped save me from my depression ...

“We had to go to Rotorua and train over there for about a week or so, so it helped with our long-distance training also. So it was something very different, it was real hard too ‘cause most of the roads were closed,” Campbell said.

He now had his sights set on competing in the National Long Distance Championships alongside his Gisborne club Horouta and individually.

But because Tai Rāwhiti was still in recovery mode after the cyclone, he was flying offshore for his training.

“I do plan on qualifying and going to Samoa, that is my main goal and my main priority. I’ll be going to Tahiti to train over there for about two weeks and do a campaign there with some good coaches,” Campbell said.

Tauranga Girls' College students competing.
Tauranga Girls' College students competing.

It was also the first time Te-Iringa Murray, from Tauranga Girls’ College, had competed at nationals.

She and her team won the Under-16 250m sprint on a double-hulled 12-seated waka.

“We were just happy. It was a happy surprise ‘cause when we went to nationals we weren’t getting really good results and then we came here and got really good results,” Murray said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It was a tight race too, they won by only one second against Ruamata from Rotorua.

“Not talking a lot on the boat so then you can listen and stuff, I don’t want to come second I want to come first so keep pushing.”

Waka Ama NZ chief executive Lara Collins said despite the rough conditions, the competition across the past week had been tight.

“It was a little bit chilly on Wednesday and Thursday just four degrees and quite windy days which made it challenging but also quite exciting on the water. So there was lots of excitement, lots of good racing, close racing and happy people everywhere on the land and the water,” Collins said.

Many of the teams were now looking to the long-distance championships in August.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Kahu

Premium
New Zealand|politics

Editorial: Why the Tāmaki Makaurau byelection matters for Labour

13 Jul 05:00 PM
Politics

Peeni Henare selected as Labour's candidate in Tāmaki Makaurau

13 Jul 02:08 AM
Kahu

No more 'hunting hui': Māori educators launch association to curb feelings of isolation

12 Jul 06:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
'Asbestos material': Fire lights up night sky in West Auckland
New Zealand

'Asbestos material': Fire lights up night sky in West Auckland

13 Jul 09:36 AM
Devon Conway recalled for T20 tri-series after injury strikes Black Caps
Black Caps

Devon Conway recalled for T20 tri-series after injury strikes Black Caps

13 Jul 09:18 AM
'Full support': Kim Jong Un reaffirms backing of Russia amid Ukraine war
World

'Full support': Kim Jong Un reaffirms backing of Russia amid Ukraine war

13 Jul 08:27 AM
Exactly how much I spent on a Japan trip
Travel

Exactly how much I spent on a Japan trip

13 Jul 08:23 AM
Black Sox looking for eighth win at Softball World Cup
Sport

Black Sox looking for eighth win at Softball World Cup

13 Jul 08:11 AM

Latest from Kahu

Premium
Editorial: Why the Tāmaki Makaurau byelection matters for Labour

Editorial: Why the Tāmaki Makaurau byelection matters for Labour

13 Jul 05:00 PM

OPINION: The Tāmaki Makaurau byelection was triggered by MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp's death.

Peeni Henare selected as Labour's candidate in Tāmaki Makaurau

Peeni Henare selected as Labour's candidate in Tāmaki Makaurau

13 Jul 02:08 AM
No more 'hunting hui': Māori educators launch association to curb feelings of isolation

No more 'hunting hui': Māori educators launch association to curb feelings of isolation

12 Jul 06:00 PM
Life in the balance: What it's like to be young on a transplant waitlist

Life in the balance: What it's like to be young on a transplant waitlist

12 Jul 05:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search