Six more haka groups advance to Te Matatini

Six kapa haka groups from Te Tai Tokerau (Northland region) and Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington region) have qualified for the national Te Matatini kapa haka competitions in Ngāmotu New Plymouth next year.

Muriwhenua from the Far North has reclaimed the winning title as Te Tai Tokerau regional champions with a dynamic and entertaining bracket that showcased a variety of moods and styles. From a haunting whakaeke to a punchy mōteatea, a playful poi, a bold haka and cheeky whakawātea.

The three other groups joining them at Te Matatini are Hātea, Te Uri o Manumanu, and Te Puu Ao.

Initially, five groups were supposed to qualify for the nationals, however of the 18 groups that performed on the stage, only 16 met the requirements to be classified as a performing group.

Mana waves in check

A TikTok trend has been making waves across the motu and one haka group took it to the stage.

Te Rarawa group Te Au Warawara drew laughs from the crowd when their kaitātaki tāne Mike Te Wake strutted to the front and greeted the audience with a mana wave — a gesture where a person "throws" their hand out to wave — at both ends of the stage and the middle, before his whaikōrero.

It went down well with those in the know, with many returning the gesture.

Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre played host to the regional competition for Te Whanganui-a-Tara where six rōpū competed to secure one of two spots to the national competition.

Defending regional champions Te Ahi a Tahurangi maintained their top spot, leading their powerful bracket with an emotional tribute to their late matriarch Darlene Weston.

Ngā Taonga Mai Tawhiti placed second with a polished performance. In his whaikōrero, kaihaka Nathaniel Rowe lamented the decrease in the number of haka groups participating in the regional competition, challenging the younger generation to step up.

"He tono tēnei i runga i te whakaaro mō te oranga tonutanga mō ngā taonga tuku iho ā kui mā, ā koro mā o tō tatou rohe (I appeal with the hope of preserving the legacy left by our kaumātua of this region)," he said.

In a statement, regional delegate Te Teira Davis said the region was thrilled to put on the event following a four-year hiatus.

"It's always an exciting time seeing and feeling the wairua of haka and whanaungatanga come to the fore of such an event."

Te Tai Tokerau:

Te Whanganui a Tara

kapa haka – Māori cultural group

whakaeke – entrance item

kaitātaki tāne – male leader (of a group)

whaikōrero – formal speech

rōpū – group

kaihaka – performer

wairua – spirit, soul

whanaungatanga – relationship, kinship, family connection