Kapa haka that have qualified for Te Matatini 2027 now know who they are competing alongside, and when, come next year’s national competition to be held at Hopuhopu, near Ngāruawāhia, in Waikato.
Fifty-seven qualifying kapa haka from 13 regions across Aotearoa and Australia have been placed into one of four preliminary pools: Te Ihu, Te Haumi, Te Kei, and Te Awa.
Three kapa haka will be selected from each pool to perform on finals day.
A new approach to the draw saw the top 20 kapa from the previous national competition seeded and distributed across the four pools.
But a change to the pool layout, with performances taking place across the four preliminary competition days, has resulted in a change of performance day dynamics.
Arguably, you can no longer guarantee a day of watching a 'balanced' competitive pool.
Not a huge deal for the loyal haka fans, and with the growth and development of kapa haka over recent years the change may hardly even matter – the divide between ‘the best’ and ‘the rest’ is shrinking.
But if you can only spare a day to Te Matatini, and it’s not finals day, you might want to consider day three with six top 20 kapa haka taking the stage, including four from finals day of Te Matatini 2025.
Day two has only two top 12 kapa performing, but for hosts and fans of Tainui haka groups, it features four of their six representatives.
Mātaatua fans might want to consider day four with three of their kapa opening in the morning, one after the other, and Te Arawa regional joint winners are also performing on day one back-to-back – even in competition they cannot be separated – despite being in separate pools.
Two kapa from Te Kāhui Maunga region will open and close the preliminary competition at Te Matatini 2027. Regional champions Ngā Purapura o Te Taihauāuru of Waitara are performing first up on day one while Whanganui-based Te Kura Nui o Paerangi is the final group on day four.
With the draw now confirmed, kapa haka can now focus on the upcoming competition – 199 days and counting.
Preliminary pools
Te Ihu – morning performances
Ngā Purapura o Te Taihauāuru, Ngā Tai Whiringa, Te Whānau a Apanui, Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti, Te Kahu Ariki, Te Haona Kaha, Te Iti Kahurangi, Te Whakatōhea, Rukutia, Te Kapa Haka o Ngā Pua o Te Kōwhara, Ngā Manu a Tāne, Te Taumata o Apanui, Mātangirau, Tū Te Maungaroa, Te Pou o Mangatāwhiri
Te Haumi – mid-morning to midday performances
Te Taha Tū, Te Tū Mataora, Te Uri o Manumanu, Te Rangiura o Wairarapa, Te Waka Huia, Ōhinemataroa ki Ruatāhuna, Ngā Waihotanga, Te Kapa Haka o Te Hau Tawhiti, Te Whare Haka o Nārama, Te Tini o Rehua, Ngā Tūmanako, Kia Ngāwari, Waihīrere, Te Pikikōtuku o Ngāti Rongomai
Te Kei – midday to afternoon performances
Te Poho o Hinekahukura, Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti, Te Hekenga a Rangi, Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue, Mōtai Tangata Rau, Kōkō Tangiwai, Te Pao a Tahu, Te Rōpū Manutaki, Awhina i Te Kaupapa, Waerenga Te Kaha, Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Ranginui, Te Whare Haka o Te Puku, Te Whirikōkō o Rangitāne, Te Reanga Morehu o Rātana
Te Awa – afternoon performances
Hātea, Te Hokowhitu a Tū, Te Pū Toi Kura, Te Kapa Haka o Pukeatua, Te Ahikaaroa, Angitu, Te Kuru Marutea, Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao, Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Te Kapa Haka o Kahungunu, Muriwhenua, Hikurangi, Te Kura Nui o Paerangi, Tauira Mai Tawhiti
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