Kapa haka groups greeted with gusto

Supporters welcome the kapa haka groups home at Rotorua Airport yesterday.

Te Arawa kapa haka groups received a rousing welcome home as they returned from Te Matatini.

More than 200 people greeted Te Matarae i Orehu, Kataore and Tuhourangi-Ngati Wahiao at Rotorua Airport yesterday afternoon when they returned from Christchurch where they took part in the four-day national kapa haka competition.

Te Matarae i Orehu was named equal second with Opotiki Mai Tawhiti behind fellow Eastern Bay of Plenty group Te Whanau a Apanui. Miriama Morrison-Hare was named the competition's best female leader for Te Matarae i Orehu.

"The group is feeling great, we went out there to do our best ..." Ms Morrison-Hare said.

They had performed for past group members, in particular Kanea Hicks who was on a long road to recovery after an attack in Auckland last year.

Male leader Wetini Mitai-Ngatai said he was proud of how his group, which won Te Matatini in 2011, performed. He said they were well looked after by hosting iwi, Ngai Tahu.

"We lost by one point but we're still happy ..."

Mr Mitai-Ngatai said he supported having the judging system reviewed.

"The point deduction on the lateness - if you're late to the venue, that's five points, backstage to the stage, another five points, but I think the three pools should remain. But a large component is on the language, if you miss a dot or a macron, again that's another five points and it's putting a lot of kapa haka groups off, since there's already so many rules regulating you off-stage."

Te Matarae i Orehu are expected to have a break before reuniting next year for their 2017 campaign in the Hawke's Bay.

Fellow Te Arawa groups were to have arrived in Rotorua last night. Meanwhile, the bridge into Whakatane yesterday was a sea of yellow, black white, blue and red balloons before the first load of Te Whanau a Apanui supporters rolled into town.