Wairarapa kapa haka team joins top tier

TOA: The Wairarapa ki Uta Wairarapa ki Tai kapa haka group that united seven Wairarapa colleges and on Friday captured a haul of wins and placings at their first contest outing. Photo/Kiri Riwai-Couch

The first Wairarapa kapa haka group to compete regionally in several years has walked away from the Te Awakairangi ki Wairarapa Kapa Haka Regionals with a haul of wins and placings.

Group coordinator Makuini Kerehi said the Wairarapa ki Uta Wairarapa ki Tai kapa haka group had been working toward the biennial Wellington contest - held at Lane Park in Upper Hutt on Friday night - since an inaugural Kapa Haka Academy was run at Wairarapa College in April.

The team brought together 35 secondary students from throughout Wairarapa including the wharekura (secondary school age) students of Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Wairarapa, St Matthew's Collegiate School, and Makoura, Wairarapa, Chanel and Kuranui Colleges for what was the first senior regional competition thrown open to secondary school competitors.

Seven groups had performed or competed at the regional event and Wairarapa ki Uta Wairarapa ki Tai had captured third place overall, Mrs Kerehi said, which had been "phenomenal" considering the home team had been together for barely two months.

Te Tira Whakaau (Wainuiomata) took first place overall at the contest and second place went to Te Whanau Tahi (Naenae), while the Wairarapa team took third place overall alongside a third in waiata tira (choral), third in waiata a ringa (action songs), first equal in kakahu (costume) and first place in whakaeke (stage entry).

"The teams that took first and second at Lane Park are the top groups in our region, so we lost to the best.

"A judge spoke to some of our kaumatua after the contest and said if our kids had been together as long as the winning teams they could have taken one of the top two places; and for how long they had been together, they were awesome."

Mrs Kerehi said the Wairarapa team had narrowly missed qualification for the national finals next year with the two top teams taking that honour. "They just missed out but they were happy, and their whanau - we were all happy with their results," she said.

"A lot of the kids are Year 13 this year so they will drop off the team and, unless there's an upsurge in kapa haka at the individual colleges, this group will probably carry on and another lot will come through in two years' time."

Mrs Kerehi said the Wairarapa group would stage non-competition performances in the region through the rest of the year.

TANE: The male performers from Wairarapa ki Uta Wairarapa ki Tai get fired up before their regional competition performance in Upper Hutt on Friday. Photo/Kiri Riwai-Couch

WAHINE: Some of the female performers from the Wairarapa ki Uta Wairarapa ki Tai kapa haka group. Photo/Kiri Riwai-Couch.

A ball and awards presentation evening for coaches, the performers and their families was held at The Farriers Bar and Eatery in Masterton on Saturday night, Mrs Kerehi said.

The three-day Kapa Haka Academy had featured a distinguished parade of tutors and presenters, including keynote speakers and seasoned performers Mihirangi Hollings, Aporonia Arahanga and Kereama Te Ua.

Other academy tutors, most of whom were from Wairarapa, included Mike Kawana, Francis McNally Te Maari, Manu Kawana, Pam Robinson, Hone Hurihanganui, Lily Arahanga and Shari Taylor.