League: Rangitihi win with late try

THRILLING FINAL: Pikiao's Steven Werahiko (with ball) tries to get away from a Rangitihi defender during the final of the Te Arawa Pa Wars on Saturday. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER

The saying goes it's not over until the fat lady sings.

While I can't recall anyone singing, Ngati Rangitihi produced a brilliant come-from-behind victory on Saturday which will go down in Te Arawa Pa Wars folklore.

The Te Arawa Pa Wars were staged over two weekends at Rotorua's Puketawhero Park with eight teams representing their hapu and whanau.

Ngati Rangitihi defeated Ngati Pikiao 30-28 in a thrilling final on Saturday afternoon to cap off the annual Maori rugby league tournament.

The surprise package of the tournament, Rangitihi looked to be dead and gone in the final after trailing Pikiao 28-16 with less than 10 minutes to go.

But three quick tries including a last-minute winner from Ngatai Kingi sealed the comeback win. "That is the spirit of Te Arawa Pa Wars, we were playing whanau versus whanau and all the energy and ihi came out in the tournament," Rangitihi co-coach Paul Warbrick said.

He said a good chunk of the winning Rangitihi side comprised players from the Matata Rugby Club with plenty of other relatives called in from Rotorua, Whakatane and as far away as Otaki and Auckland.

"For us it was not only about league but also a chance for us to come back and be a whanau together, because Rangitihi is quite spread."

Warbrick said as far as he knew that was the first time Rangitihi had entered a team.

"It is a brilliant tournament, it is whanau versus whanau, and this has been a really well organised tournament this year and I take my hat off to the organisers, Te Arawa Rugby League committee."

A Te Arawa men's rugby league team will be selected from the tournament to represent Te Arawa at the Maori nationals held over Labour Weekend.