Results - 2020 Open Ki o Rahi Nationals
10 teams from around the country travelled to Huntly to battle it out to be crowned NZ’s first regional champions!
The plan is that this tournament carries on every year and becomes as consistent as the NZ Secondary School Nationals!
Being the first rohe (region) to win the very first tournament was always a big part of the day, but enjoying one another’s company and celebrating the game of ki o rahi was also part of the reason teams came together.
This year is the 10th year of Ki o Rahi Secondary School Nationals, and we finally get our adults playing the game they grew to love whilst at secondary school! This Nationals meant rangatahi not long out of school got to return to the ki o rahi field, it also gave coaches and parents who don’t usually get a chance to play the chance to, well, play!
Teams who made it out to Huntly were Waiariki, Tamaki Nui a Rua, Mataoho, Waikato, Rahui Pokeka, Taupo Nui a Tia, Tuwharetoa, Ngati Maniapoto, Ngati Mahuta and Tamaki Makaurau.
Teams were split across 2 x pools with Waikato, Maniapoto, Mataoho, Tuwharetoa and Waiariki in Pool A & Tamaki Makaurau, Tamaki Nui a Rua, Rahui Pokeka, Ngati Mahuta and Taupo Nui a Tia in Pool B.
The top 2 teams from each pool were Waikato and Mataoho from Pool A and Tamaki Makaurau and Tamaki Nui a Rua in Pool B.
Before the semi-finals played there was a game between Rahui Pokeka and Ngati Maniapoto, two young teams made predominantly from secondary school students. Their game finished in a draw, and so it went to a penalty shoot out for placings, which was the first time many of us had seen a shootout in an actual competition.
Head along to our Instagram to catch the shootout.
The shootout pitted the top 5 shooters from each team against the kaitiaki of the opposite team. The Kaitiaki take their position on Pawero to protect the tupu and the shooters all head to Te Marama. When the referee allows, one shooter at a time runs down Te Ara and enters left or right into Te Roto, with 5 seconds to shoot, the shooter tries to outsmart the kaitiaki. Teams take a turn each to shoot and block, similar to a penalty shoot out in football (soccer).
Some impressive blocks, some impressive shots and also some not so impressive shots until one shot from the final Rahui Pokeka shooter snuck through to the Tupu meaning Ngati Maniapoto’s last shooter had the chance to tie things up. It ended up being the male blocker being the final shooter, and although his shot was impressive the Rahui Pokeka Blocker was too calm and too good and Rahui Pokeka won to finish 5th.
In the championship semi-finals, two teams from Auckland would play off whilst the ever improving Tamaki Nui a Rua would play against emerging favourites Waikato. Both semi-finals were close but Waikato and Tamaki Makaurau proved to be too good, this meant both teams who had topped their pools would play off in the final!
The final showcased plenty of speed and agility, Tamaki Makurau had NZ and Samoan Touch Representatives in their mix and they definitely proved to be a threat to the Waikato defence, with all the speed that the Waikato had there were a couple of players they found hard to mark, it wasn’t enough though, the intensity and experience of the Waikato team proved too strong in the end and they walked away as the first Open Ki o Rahi Nationals winners!
2020 Finalists - Waikato and Tamaki Makaurau
It was pretty clear from the start of the day that Waikato were the team to beat - each of their players were of high quality, many of them had been selected for NZ Secondary School Ki o Rahi representative teams over the years, they had speed, confidence, strong communication, they played with intensity and they expected plenty from one another. They were awesome to watch, they brought back memories of some of the best Rakaumanga semi-finals and finals that we have watched over the years, it would be awesome to see this team play at more adult competitions across the year.
It was an impressive turnout for the very first Open Nationals - but there’s still plenty more teams and people missing, here’s to a whole lot more making a return to the game of Ki o Rahi. Lock in the weekend around Waitangi in 2021!