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Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Te Matatini 2025: Top 12 revealed; defending champs into finals alongside three Tāmaki Makaurau teams

NZ Herald
28 Feb, 2025 07:25 AM2 mins to read

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All the highlights from day four of the world's biggest kapa haka festival.

The 12 finalists for Te Matatini have been announced, among them are defending champions Te Whānau a Apanui, boundary-pushing Auckland group Angitu and star-studded newcomers Te Taumata o Apanui.

Over the past five days, 55 groups divided into four pools have competed at Pukekura, the Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth.

The 12 finalists are:

Tūhourangi Ngāti Wahiao

Te Pou-o-Mangataawhiri

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Te Kapa Haka o te Whānau a Apanui

Ngā Tūmanako

Angitu

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Te Waka Huia

Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue

Te Pikikōtuku o Ngāti Rongomai

Te Taumata o Apanui

Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti

Mōtai Tangata Rau

Ngāti Rangiwewehi

The finalists will perform one more time on Saturday in Te Matangirua, finals day.

The scores from the preliminary rounds do not carry over into the finals, so the teams who made it have a chance to lift their performance and clinch the title.

Te Matatini finalists Whāngārā mai Tawhiti will get the chance to perform again on Saturday. Photo / Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises
Te Matatini finalists Whāngārā mai Tawhiti will get the chance to perform again on Saturday. Photo / Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises

Tickets and gate sales for the final day are sold out.

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The first group will perform at 8.30am, with the final group set to take the atamira just after 4pm. The prizegiving will start just after 5pm with the overall winners announced soon after.

The winner takes home the supreme title of Toa Whakaihuwaka, the Ngāpo Pimia Wehi Duncan McIntyre Trophy and bragging rights for the next two years.

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