Kapa haka groups ready to compete

Te Mataraei o Rehu train for this weekend's Te Arawa regional kapa haka competition at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

THE big guns of Te Arawa kapa haka will come out swinging this weekend to do battle for places at Te Matatini, the national kapa haka championships.

Poi will be swung in perfect synchronisation, voices will be pitch perfect and haka will be at its glorious best as 18 groups vie for the honour of performing at Te Matatini 2017 in Hastings.

This year's Te Arawa competition is in honour of the memory of the late Mauriora
Kingi who was the Rotorua Lakes Council kaupapa Maori director and respected kaumatua. Te Arawa Kapa Charitable Trust chairman Anaru Grant said Mr Kingi was instrumental as a kapa haka stalwart and represented Te Arawa on the national kapa haka arena.

"We honour him for the work he did for us. He was a very accomplished person," Mr Grant said.

All cultures are welcome to attend the performances as it is not just for Maori, said Mr Grant.

"The whole thing is about reaching out in terms of the culture. "It belongs to Aotearoa New Zealand. It is about exposing our culture to the world, and our international tourists and all locals are encouraged to come along," he said.

The group to watch will be Te Matarae i o Rehu, who have won Te Matatini twice and \ came second equal in 2015. Leader Wetini Mitai-Ngatai doesn't know what their winning formula is, for him it's all about maintaining tradition and doing justice to the stories they are telling.

"We just try to do our best by animating the stories that are important to us," he said.

Only five of the 18 groups performing this weekend go through to Te Matatini and while there is pressure to perform, everybody taking the stage also have enormous pride in their performance, Mr Grant said.

"We encourage people to have a lot of fun. At the end of the day we are all related. No matter which group you are in, you do your best, hug everybody after and celebrate the fact that our culture is alive and well."

Details:
- What: Te Arawa Kapa Haka Whakataetae A Rohe
- Where: Energy Events Centre
- When: Today and tomorrow

Te Arawa Kapa Haka Whakataetae A Rohe programme:
FRIDAY
2pm Ngati Whakaue
Pakeke
2.30pm Ngati Pikiao Pakeke
3pm Ngati Rongomai
Pakeke
3.30pm Te RauAroha
4pm Judges' break
4.30pm Te Hikuwai Pakeke
5pm Ngati Rangiwewehi
Pakeke
5.30pm Ngati Kea/Ngati
Tuara
6pm Te Utuhina
ManaakitangaTrust
SATURDAY
9am Te ArawaTautoko
(Pakeke Kapa)
9.40am Nga Uri o Te
Whanoa
10.20am Te Hikuwai
11am Judges' break
11.30am Tuhourangi Ngati
Wahiao
12.10pm Kataore
12.50pm Ngati Whakaue
1.30pm Te Kai oTe ra Nui
2.30pm Te Matarae i o rehu
3.10pm Ngati Rangiwewehi
3.50pm Ngati Tarawhai
4.30pm Te Piki Kotuku o
Rongomai
6.30pm PRIZEGIVING