Teams to look out for - 2019 Secondary School Ki o Rahi Nationals

This year we look at the Top 8 teams from 2018’s New Zealand Secondary School Ki o Rahi Nationals.

First up we’ve chosen:

Mana College

Mana College from Porirua in Te-Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) are a school with a roll of between 300 and 400 students of predominantly Māori ethnicity.

In 2018, Mana College were in Pool D with Te Kura Kaupapa Maaori o Te Waiu o Ngati Porou, Linwood College, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Horouta Wānanga, Palmerston North Boys and Girls and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Taumarere.

Pool games were played on Day 1 with Mana beating Te Waiu 16 - 14, Palmy Boys and Girls 26 - 17, Taumarere 39 - 21 and Linwood 23 - 14. Their only loss came at the hands of Gisborne’s Horouta Wānanga where they went down 19 - 28.

This meant Mana College placed 2nd in Pool D and for the second time in two years they ranked in the Top 8 school’s from around Aotearoa.

Being second in Pool D meant they would play winners of Pool A, 2017 champions Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae. Mana fought hard in this game but ended up going down to 2018’s eventual champions.

Mana have since gone on to win their home regionals and book a place back in the 2019 Secondary School Kī o Rahi Nationals.

Can 2019 be the year Mana break into that ever elusive top 4? We’ll find out in April!

Danny MaeraJanuary 28, 2019