Reigning ASB Polyfest Division 1 champions Te Wharekura o Hoani Waititi Marae are preparing to defend their title, with the competition set to kick off in early April.
Hoani Waititi first performed at Polyfest in 1995, won their first title in 1996, and currently holds the record for the most ASB Polyfest titles, with 10.
But the kura knows that it will take a lot of hard work to repeat the effort, with some of the best kapa haka in the country hot on their heels.
With all that history, it could be a heavy burden for the current crop of students taking this year’s stage. Still, according to Manawarau Marikena, manukura tāne, they believe they have done the mahi.
“I tīmata mātou i tērā tau, i te wāhanga tuawhā, kua kaha pukumahi mātou. Kua ruku ki ngā mamae poto i tēnei wā. Kei te tau i runga i te mōhio he kapa kotahi, he kapa pukumahi. He kapa mahi i ngā mahi, ahakoa te aha.”
“Ko te whāinga ki a au, ka mutu, ki taku kapa, te whakaatu i tō tātou aho matuatanga.”
Te Ua Tumoana, one of the ohu whakahaere of the kapa, says that while the ultimate fate of their kapa rests in the hands of judges, the tauira know that it will be up to them where they end up.
“Kei te pai te haere, e whakapono nui ana au ki a rātou, e whakapono ana rātou ki a rātou, nō reira, kei ō rātou ringa, kei a ratou te tikanga o te pae tū, o te pae heke, o te aha rānei, engari ko te mea nui ki a mātou kia tika ngā mātāpono, kia tika te kawe ia rātou, kia Māori te tū.”
From humble beginnings
The Māori stage at ASB Polyfest began in 1976 with just four schools: Aorere College, Māngere College, Seddon High School (Western Springs College- Ngā Puna o Waiōrea), and host Hillary College, giving secondary students a platform to showcase Māori and Pacific cultures through performance.
Today, the festival has grown to feature 77 secondary schools and more than 11,000 students performing across six main cultural stages: the Māori Stage, Cook Islands Stage, Niue Stage, Samoan Stage, Tongan Stage, and Diversity Stage.
While originally held at various schools in Auckland, in 1996 the festival made its permanent move to the Manukau Sports Bowl.
The 2026 Polyfest will be staged across two South Auckland venues, reflecting the scale of the event. The Māori stage, featuring groups including Hoani Waititi, will be held at the Due Drop Events Centre.
Meanwhile, the remaining stages, including Pacific and Diversity groups, will take place at the Manukau Sports Bowl. The split-site format is designed to better accommodate the large number of performers and spectators attending the festival.
