This year's the one for Otahuhu group

Jessica Minhas is ready to reverse her school's fortunes. Photo / Martin Sykes

School rivalry takes to the stage this week ... and 17-year-old Jessica Minhas of the Otahuhu College Samoan Cultural Group will be ready. She and her group will be among up to 10,000 students competing at the annual Polyfest in South Auckland.

The festival - its full name is the Auckland Secondary Schools Maori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival - is in its 34th year and is believed to be the largest Maori and Pacific Island cultural performing arts festival in the world. Groups from 59 schools will perform on six stages - Maori, Niuean, Tongan, Samoan, Cook Islands and a "diversity" stage - at the Manukau Sports Bowl in Te Irirangi Drive, South Auckland.

Jessica's group has been rehearsing for five weeks. They have been second to Avondale College for seven years in a row in the co-ed schools on the Samoan stage, and are going all-out to reverse the result this year.