No-poi rule can change

A Te Arawa kapa haka expert is backing calls to ban boys from using poi at the national secondary schools competition. Photo/Stephen Parker

A Te Arawa kapa haka expert is backing calls to ban boys from using poi at the national secondary schools competition.

According to Willie Te Aho, of the National Secondary Schools kapa haka organising committee, the new rules could be changed if eight of the 14 rohe involved want the decision, made at a committee meeting last week, reconsidered.

"Ultimately this is a board with 14 rohe and if the majority say 'hey we need to rethink this, we need to go back to the drawing board' then this is absolutely what will be done," he told Radio New Zealand.

Trevor Maxwell, who has coached and mentored kapa haka groups for more than 35 years, has no issue with the decision as long as single sex schools were not disadvantaged by the ruling.

The Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua Society told schools to substitute the poi - formerly compulsory in the competition - with Mau Rakau, a Maori martial art that uses weapons like taiaha, patu and mere.

The announcement came just five months out from the secondary school nationals at Hawke's Bay in July.

Some single sex schools, including Hato Paora College and Hastings Boys' High School, have protested saying the change was unfair and left them at a disadvantage. The issue has also caused a storm of controversy on social media with some saying the changes were sexist and there was a tradition of males using poi to strengthen their wrists.

Mr Maxwell said his preference was for "the men to do haka and the women to do poi".

"At secondary school level the groups copy what the seniors are doing so the boys should do the haka and the girls the poi. Our two single sex schools - boys' and girls' high - combine their teams, so it should not be an issue here," he said.

"But if teams are disadvantaged by not being able to score points for haka or poi then that needs to be looked at."

Te Matarae I Orehu tutor, Wetini Mitai-Ngatai, said the new rule played on the feeling men needed to be staunch. Traditionally men did the poi to strengthen their wrists for battle therefore the change was not driven by tikanga.

Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua Society Te Arawa regional co-ordinator Kimiora Webster from Rotorua said he was part of the committee that made the decision. He could not speak for the others but would respect challenges to the decision.