In only their second regional appearance, Te Taumata o Apanui have claimed the title of Mataatua champions.
While competitions of this calibre often favour seasoned rōpū, this team is hardly inexperienced. Among their ranks are established performers Erana Koopu, Cilla Ruha, Rob Ruha, Troy Kingi and Waiariki MP Rawiri Waititi.
Day two of competition at Te Kāeaea o Tūwhakaea in Whakatāne saw the remaining 14 teams take the stage, with six securing qualification to represent Mataatua at Te Matatini 2027:
- Te Taumata o Apanui
- Ōhinemataroa ki Ruatāhuna
- Ōpōtiki mai Tawhiti
- Te Whakatōhea
- Tauira mai Tawhiti
- Te Kapa Haka o Te Whānau a Apanui
Former regional champions Te Whānau a Apanui opened the day. It was noticeable that while several prominent performers had returned, others were absent from the lineup. Fellow eastern favourites Tauira Mai Tawhiti were as melodious as ever, mesmerising the audience with their dulcet tones and clever key changes.
Ōhinemataroa ki Ruatāhuna came with compositions that give that real melancholic feel you often hear from the Tūhoe teams.
While their relations from Te Kapa Haka o Rūātoki took to political issues with their haka, urging Waiariki MP Rawiri Waititi to ‘hohou i te rongo,’ and be guided by Mataatua protocol in his political manoeuvrings. Speaking of which, Winston Peters was also given tongue in cheek by their Kaitātaki Tāne, Haeata Davis, who commanded, “Whētero ki a Winitana!”
While Tūtara Kauika didn’t qualify for Te Matatini, their performance was telling of a well-established rōpū this year, despite the many new faces in their midst.
Perhaps it was the recent tragedies in their area playing into the heartfelt tunes, prompting a line from the well-known hīmene, ‘Mā te mārie’. Their choral, a tribute to their maunga, Mauao, that now bearing the scars of recent slips that claimed 6 lives, including two teenagers.
“I āhua taumaha ai tō mātou moana, i āhua pōkeao ai tō tātou moana, nō reira tēnei te kaha ka ū mai i a ia,” te kī a Aukaha Kakau-Dickson, Kaitātaki Tāne o Tūtara Kauika.
Koinei te tau toru tekau nō te whānautanga mai o te kapa o Tūtara Kauika, ā, ko tā Meremaihi Aloua, te Kaitātaki Wahine o Tūtara Kauika, he maringanui hoki he pērā tā rātou tautōhito.
“Nō mātou hoki te whiwhi kei konei tonu a Uncle Jack Thatcher, nō reira ko tā mātou he kawe i te hau kāinga, he whakanui anō hoki i te tū a ngā rangatahi kua hau mai ki waenga nui i a mātou. Tokomaha hoki e tū ana ki te taha o a rātou mātua, nō reira, kua wini kē mātou.”
I tuku mihi hoki te kapa nō Tauranga ki ō rātou whāea, ki a Nanny Rosey rāua ko Nanny Whero, otirā ki ngā toa o Te Matatini 2009, Te Kapa Haka o Te Whānau a Apanui, i te wā i tū ai te whakataetae kapa haka a motu ki Tauranga. Tae atu rā hoki ki te kaupapa o tō rātou haka e āta pātaihia te pātai, he aha e mate wawe nei o rātou rangatira?
Koinei hoki te wā tuatahi i eke ai a Te Oti Paul ki te atamira hai kaitātaki mō te kapa o Ngāti Awa ki Rangitāiki me tana manawa tau i oti katoa i a ia āna mahi hai kaiārahi.
“I felt like I could’ve done more, but I left everything on that stage,” te kī a Paul.
Ko te kaupapa kōrero i roto i te waiata-a-ringa o Ngāti Awa ki Rangitāiki, ko te hokinga atu o te whenua taurikura o Te Kūpenga o Taramainuku ki te iwi.
“Ko ngā kōrero o te waiata-a-ringa he whakamōhio atu ki te iwi mō ngā āhuatanga i pā ki te whenua, heoi anō, i tēnei rā tonu, ko te mahi, he titia ngā pou o te whare toa-a-ura, o te whare wānanga i roto i a tātou nā uri whakaheke,” te kī a Te Manaakitanga Pryor, Kaitātaki Tāne o Ngāti Awa ki Rangitāiki.
Heoi anō, he wīkena kikī ana i te hiranga me te hākoakoa, mai i ngā kapa pākeke tae noa ki ngā kapa whakataetae.
Ko ngā kapa i uru atu ki Te Matatini mai i Ngā Whakataetae Kapa Haka a rohe o Mataatua 2024, ko:
- Te Kapa Haka o te Whānau-a-Apanui
- Ōhinemataroa ki Ruatāhuna
- 3rd= Tauira Mai Tawhiti
- 3rd= Taumata o Apanui
- Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti
- Te Kapa Haka o Rūātoki
Exclusive coverage of Kapa Haka Regionals 2026 is available on Whakaata Māori and MĀORI+, supported by Te Māngai Pāho.
