Fourteen kapa took to the stage in Tauranga Moana today, opening the first day of Ngā Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua o Aotearoa 2026 – Te Tāwharau o Ngā Waka.
Te Kura o Kokohuia was the first kapa in the Rangatahi pool to perform, delivering an emotional bracket dedicated to a former student who passed away earlier this year.
“Ngā parekawakawa mō tō mātou whakawātea, he waiata apakura ki tētahi tauira kua ngaro i tīmatanga o tēnei tau,” says kaihaka Kairangi Stirling.
“He maha ngā [hapa] me kī i mahi au, engari ko te mea nui, i haere tonu, i mahi i ngā mahi, i oti ngā mahi, i heke i te atamira, me tētahi menemene.”
He kawe i ngā wawata o rātau mā
Te Kapa Haka o Te Kura ā Iwi o Whakatupuranga Rua Mano also honoured their founding father, Ahorangi Whatarangi Winiata, who died earlier this month.
“He tino rangatira ia ki a Aotearoa whānui, mō āna mahi maha. He kaiako ia, he tauira ia, he rangatira ia mō tātou o Raukawa,” says Manukura Wahine Hengamanongi Taleta.
Manukura Tāne Rangikauhoe Gaby-Heke says their haka also carried a political message.
“Ko te haka, he kōrero tēnā e pā ana ki te kāwanatanga, e whakatakahi ana i te mana o Ngāi Māori,” he adds.
“Mēnā he pērā anō, ka takahi i tō mātou mana ka kōrero mātou, ka tukuna mātou tō mātou kōrero ki te ao whānui.”
Te oranga tonutanga o te reo Māori
The use of te reo Māori beyond the stage was also a topic of discussion following comments made by Hemi Tai Tin during yesterday’s pōhiri. He challenged performers to carry the language into everyday life, rather than limiting it to kapa haka.
“Kaua e waiata teka mai tēnā mea te reo Māori, ka mutu ake te tū, kātahi ka kōrero Pākehā. Kaua e waiata teka mai te mana Māori motuhake, ā, kua whāia e koe tō ao Pākehā,” Tai Tin said.
“Ko wai kei tua o to awe māpara”
Te Ao Māori News spoke to rangatahi today who weighed in on the conversation.
Tiare Reneti agreed, saying,
“Me whakawhānui ake tō mātou reo Māori, kia mārama kehokeho mātou, ki tō mātou tūturutanga i roto i tō mātou ao.”
A Hillcrest High School student also encouraged more people to use te reo Māori, regardless of their fluency.
“I think it’s worth it because te reo Māori has always been suppressed in Aotearoa, even if it is our own language. Even if you’re not fluent in the reo, I think it’s worth it just to try.”
Another tauira shared a similar view, saying,
“He pai ake kia ngana ētahi kia kōrero i te reo Māori i ngā wā katoa. Engari, mehemea kāore rawa koe e mōhio he pai noa tērā.”
Competition continues tomorrow with the 13 kapa performing in the Taiohi pool.
