Te Puku take regional kapa haka title (+video&pics)

Months of dedication and hard work was on display at the Te Arawa Regional Secondary Schools Kapa Haka Competition.

A full Rotorua Energy Events Centre yesterday saw 10 groups battle it out on stage to claim a top-four finish to be able to progress to the national competition in Hastings next year.

Representing Te Arawa will be overall winners Te Puku o Te Ika as well as Raukura, Roopu Manaaki and Te Iti Rearea.

Chairwoman of the Te Arawa Pouko i te Reo (Maori teacher cluster for Te Arawa and competition organising committee) Aramoana Mohi-Maxwell said the standard of the performances was consistently high throughout the day. "It's been a brilliant day with 10 groups mai Maketu ki Tongariro (from Maketu to Tongariro) taking to the stage. It's been a culmination of hundreds of hours of hard work with the support from their schools and whanau," she said.

Image 1 of 31: Nga Kohine Rotorua Girls High School Photo/Stephen Parker

"They are bringing to stage who they are as Maori and the tribes they come from. The standard is consistently high and shows how much work they have put into this. As an organising committee, it's what we're about: giving students a voice and opportunity, particularly in something that is so inherently theirs.

"You can't help but celebrate what it is that makes us who we are."

Student Canaan Haiu, 13, performed for Te Kura o Hirangi in Turangi and said they started preparing for the competition earlier this year.

"The highlight has been just the people coming to see us. It was good to have it over and done with but whole vibe has been awesome," he said.

"Onstage it was scary and you wonder what the judges are thinking, but it's such a mean feeling performing, to be honest. It's been so awesome coming here but to go to the nationals would be such a big thing in our lives."

-For video of performances go to www.rotoruadailypost.co.nz