The winning Okaihau College Green players, from left, from back, Eilise Te Huia, Freda Blaikie, Siakini Taulangau, Alyssa Williams, Feleni Manufetoa, Fe'ao Taulangau, Logan Salmons, Graham Sharp, Taupiri Cowan, Tayna Munro-Beazley, Kerri Johnson and Jayden Edmonds. Photo / Debbie Beadle
The winning Okaihau College Green players, from left, from back, Eilise Te Huia, Freda Blaikie, Siakini Taulangau, Alyssa Williams, Feleni Manufetoa, Fe'ao Taulangau, Logan Salmons, Graham Sharp, Taupiri Cowan, Tayna Munro-Beazley, Kerri Johnson and Jayden Edmonds. Photo / Debbie Beadle
The Okaihau College Green ki o rahi team confirmed their place at the top of Northland's secondary school standings, winning division one of the regional competition in Kaikohe on Friday.
It was the second consecutive regional win for Okaihau College in a competition which featured almost 200 players at LindvartPark last week. By finishing first, the school team qualified as the top local hope for the national secondary school competition to be held in Northland in April next year.
Photographer Debbie Beadle went along to catch some of the action.
Results
Division one 1st: Okaihau College 2nd: Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe 3rd: Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Taumarere 4th: Bay of Islands College 5th: Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Pukemiro 6th: Kerikeri High School 7th: Whangārei Girls' High School and Whangārei Boys' High School combined 8th: Northland College 9th: Te Kura Taumata o Panguru 10th: Mangakahia Area School
Division two (Taumarere Pool) 1st: Okaihau College 2nd: Te Kāpehu Whetū 3rd: Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Taumarere 4th: Northland College 5th: Opononi Area school
Division two (Hokianga Pool) 1st: Springbank School 2nd: Dargaville High School 3rd: Bay of Islands College 4th: Mangakahia Area school
Sport Northland's Marcia Aperahama (left) presents Okaihau College's Siakini Taulangau with a taonga known as "Te Mauri" which is given to a school of the next national ki o rahi competition hosts, which is Northland in 2020. Photo / Debbie Beadle
Snow O'Halloran, from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe (front), tries to escape the clutches of an Okaihau College Green player in the division one final. Photo / Debbie Beadle
Okaihau College's Feleni Manufetoa looks skyward as he goes to catch the ki (ball). Photo / Debbie Beadle
Mangakahia Area School's (in blue) Maraea Aramu Heta, Betsy Tribble and Brooklyn Pira Waa prepare for a shot from the taniwha player from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Taumarere. Photo / Debbie Beadle
Okaihau College's Logan Salmons (left) tries to evade his opponent from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Pukemiro. Photo / Debbie Beadle
Mangakahia Area School's Lui Waa (right), playing as a kioma, dives forward into the pawero for a tupumanawa (try), narrowly missing a tīhae (rip) from a taniwha player from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Taumarere. Photo / Debbie Beadle
Te Kāpehu Whetū's Cruz Broughton (number five) gets high to take a shot at the tupu as two Northland College kaitiaki (defenders) prepares to block. Photo / Debbie Beadle
Conway Vakatini-Harding, from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe (left), tries to chase down Okaihau College's Logan Salmons. Photo / Debbie Beadle
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe's Snow O'Halloran tries to get his shot at the tupu around an Okaihau College kaitiaki in the division one final. Photo / Debbie Beadle
