Tuatahi, he mihi tēnei ki Te Tai Tokerau mō tō manaaki, tō mahana, tō aroha.

Kua mutu te whakataetae ā motu Kī o Rahi, engari ka maumahara tonu ā tātou ki te wairua o tēnei waahi mō ake tonu!

Ngā mihi!

Last week, Wednesday 21st April to Friday 23rd April 2021, the 2021 NZ Secondary School Kī o Rahi Nationals went down in Waitangi, Northland.

Teams gathered at Te Tii Marae for the pōhiri on Wednesday.

2021 NZ Secondary School Kī o Rahi Nationals - Pōhiri

Thursday saw Pool Play at Waitangi Sports Grounds. 32 teams split across 4 pools of 8 meant each team had 7 games on Day 1. It also saw teams getting used to tatū, tewhatewha and the incline on a couple fields.

2 halves of 7 minutes gave each team 14 minutes to score as many points, whilst trying to defend as many points as possible. You would then get a 25 minute break whilst the other pools would play and then you would be back at it. Weather was stunning and energy was good.

No matter how you fared on Day 1, you were guaranteed at least one more game on Day 2. Finish top 2 in your pool on Day 1 and you moved into the Championship, finish 3rd or 4th and you would qualify for the Cup, 5th and 6th you would make the Plate, 7th and 8th went on to the Bowl.

2021 NZ Secondary School Kī o Rahi Nationals - Rā Tuatahi (Day 1)

Results from Day 1 are as follows:

Te Puna o Pouerua:

Progressions:

Championship - Te Wharekura o Rakaumangamanga (1st), Tūranga Wāhine, Tūranga Tāne (2nd)

Cup - Rotorua Boys and Girls (3rd), Tongariro School (4th)

Plate - Te Kura Kaupapa Māori ō Te Kura Whakapūmau i te Reo Tūturu ki Waitaha (5th), Wainuiomata High School (6th)

Bowl - Okaihau College (7th), Te Kura o Kokohuia (8th)

Te Puna o Ruarangi:

Progressions:

Championship - Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae (1st), Tokoroa High School (2nd)

Cup - Ngā Taiatea Wharekura (3rd), Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe (4th)

Plate - Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Waiū o Ngāti Porou (5th), Lytton High School - Ritana (6th)

Bowl - Te Kura Māori o Te Wānanga Whare Tapere o Takitimu (7th), Te Puna Wai o Waipapa - Hagley College (8th)

Te Puna o Puketona:

Progressions:

Championship - Te Kuiti High School (1st), Hastings Boys and Girls (2nd)

Cup - Lindisfarne/Napier Girls (3rd), Lincoln High School (4th)

Plate - Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae (5th), Te Kura o Hirangi (6th)

Bowl - Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hawaiki Hou (7th), Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Taumarere (8th)

Te Puna o Te Puke:

Progressions:

Championship - Mana College (1st), Hamilton Boys & Girls (2nd)

Cup - Ngā Puna o Waiorea (3rd), Te Pihipihinga Kakano Mai i Rangiatea (4th)

Plate - Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Horouta Wānanga (5th), Taumarunui High School (6th)

Bowl - Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tupoho (7th), Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Mokopuna (8th)

Friday saw a return to Te Tii Marae for Finals Day. Weather was patchy, come semi finals there was a bit of rain however, it fined up for the finals.

In the Bowl Competition, Okaihau College came out winners.

2021 NZ Secondary School Kī o Rahi National Bowl Winners - Okaihau College

2021 NZ Secondary School Kī o Rahi Nationals - Bowl Winners

The Plate Division was won by TKKM o Te Waiū o Ngāti Porou.

2021 NZ Secondary School Kī o Rahi National Plate Winners - TKKM o Te Waiū o Ngāti Porou.

2021 NZ Secondary School Kī o Rahi Nationals - Plate Winners

The Cup Division was won by Lindisfarne College & Napier Girls

2021 NZ Secondary School Kī o Rahi National Cup Winners - Lindisfarne College and Napier Girls

2021 NZ Secondary School Kī o Rahi Nationals - Cup Winners

After topping their pools on Day 1 with mighty points for and minimal points against, Te Wharekura o Rakaumangamanga of Huntly and Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae of Māngere East, Auckland were favourites for Day 2.

Ngā Tapuwae beat Tokoroa 21 - 5 and Tūranga Wāhine Tūranga Tāne 10 - 3 in their respective quarter and semi finals to progress to the final.

Rakaumanga defeated Te Kuiti 20 - 4 and Hamilton Boys/Girls 6 - 5 to clinch their place in the finals.

2021 NZ Secondary School Kī o Rahi Nationals - Final

This meant for the fourth consecutive Secondary School Kī o Rahi Nationals, Te Wharekura o Rakaumangamanga and Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae would go head to head in the Championship Final.

The game was a respectful one, without a lot of noise and drama, Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae won 11 - 4 and were crowned champions for the third time in four years.

2021 NZ Secondary School Kī o Rahi Nationals - Championship Winners

2021 NZ Secondary School Kī o Rahi National Champions - Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae

KC Maaka of Tai Tokerau Kī o Rahi Nationals organising team wanted to do a massive shout out to all involved.

“We would like to acknowledge our host Te Tii Marae from Waitangi and the tautoko from QRC for the powhiri and kai hakari.”

“To Ngati Hine Health Trust for providing time, resources and the Kaimahi team running the event with tautoko from Anga Mua Te Rarawa and Te Reo o Te Tai Tokerau.”

“Big ups to our referees for their overseeing of the games from Kahungunu and Tamaki Makaurau. Bunning's Kaikohe for sponsoring equipment and prize packs for teams.”

Thanks to Te Tai Tokerau Kī o Rahi Nationals Facebook Page for the photos - please visit the page here to find more amazing photos of all 3 days.

Looking forward to 2022 NZ Secondary School Kī o Rahi Nationals in Te Arawa!

All you regions get back to your spaces, develop your coaches, your referees and your players and we’ll see you in 2022 :D

Results - 2021 Kī o Rahi Secondary School Nationals