Teams compete at kapa haka contest

COMPETITION: Rotorua Intermediate pupils (from left) Kirihuruhuru Te Pania, Aimee Whata and Mereohia Ngata. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Four Rotorua teams represented Te Arawa at Te Mana Kuratahi 2015 this week, each bringing home a prize showing the other regions how it's done.

The primary schools national kapa haka competition in Palmerston North saw 47 schools from around the country taking part in the biannual competition.

Te Arawa's teams were selected from the Te Arawa Primary Schools regional kapa haka competition in November last year.

The teams were Te Kura Takawaenga o te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Hurunga Te Rangi, Te Wharekura o Ngati Rongomai and Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Ruamata.

Winners of the non-aggregate section for Kakahu were Te Wharekura o Ngati Rongomai, with Te Kura Takawaenga o Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe sharing second place with Te Kura o Waioweka.

Te Kura Takawaenga o te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe (Rotorua Intermediate) teacher Jaylene Tamati said the children worked hard to place well in the competition.

"I am really proud of these kids. We're a mainstream school and we were battling the best in the country, so I'm very proud of our mentions in the prizegiving.

"The kids absolutely loved it and they learned a lot. For most of these kids it was their first time competing. They enjoyed watching the other groups, and now they know what it is all about," Ms Tamati said.

"Te Arawa, as a whole, did our area proud and we congratulate them and all the winners."