Record Number of Entries for ASB Polyfest
A record number of cultural groups have entered the 2008 ASB Polyfest which takes place at the Manukau Sports Bowl from
12 – 15 March.
For the first time in the 32 year history of the festival, 200 cultural groups have entered from secondary schools right
across the Auckland region. There has been an increase in each of the five cultural stages – Cook Islands, the Hapai Te
Hauora Maori stage, the MIT Niue stage, Pacific Corned Beef Samoan stage & the ACC Tonga stage.
The festival has grown significantly from its small beginnings in 1976 when four schools took part, to now being the
largest Maori & Pacific Island festival in the world. This year’s festival features 66 schools, 200 cultural groups, and 9000 students
performing traditional dances on stage for the four-day festival.
Some of the interesting entries received for the 2008 ASB Polyfest include –
* Avondale College are back on the Samoan stage, looking to continue their string of four consecutive titles in the
overall co-ed schools section.
* Auckland Girls Grammar have entered a cultural group on every stage.
* Auckland International College have made their first entry ever to the ASB Polyfest - an Indian group on the Diversity
stage.
* De La Salle College & McAuley College are both returning to the festival after not entering groups last year. Both these schools have
traditionally been strong performers at the festival.
* Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate will be defending their overall title on the Cook Islands Stage.
* The most number of entries from one school comes from James Cook High School & Epsom Girls Grammar, who have each entered 8 cultural groups.
* Edgewater College have entered the Maori stage for the first time in recent memory. They have always entered a Nuie
group, achieving excellent results in recent years.
* Kaipara College have entered a cultural group for the first time ever on the Maori stage.
* Pukekohe High School have entered the Maori Stage after an absence of several years.
* Tangaroa College will be defending their overall title on the Nuie Stage.
Event Director for the ASB Polyfest, Craig Seuseu is excited at the growth of this year’s festival, and the fact the
number of cultural group entries has reached 200 for the first time ever.
In looking at the record number of entries, Seuseu said “we have received increased entries across all five of the main
stages – Maori, Cook Islands, Nuie, Samoan, Tongan. It is amazing to think that 200 groups will compete for the honour
of their school and culture.”
“Overall the increase in numbers is a great reflection of the continuing importance the festival has in Auckland
schools, and in particular with students themselves.”
The public can experience the world’s largest Maori & Pacific Island festival for the admission of only $3, at the Manukau Sports Bowl from 12 – 15 March.
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ASB POLYFEST SCHOOL ENTRIES 2008 as at 14 Feb 2008
COOK ISLANDS STAGE ENTRIES
1 Aorere College Comp
2 Auckland Girls Grammar School Comp
3 Avondale College Comp
4 Baradene College & Auckland Grammar Comp
5 Epsom Girls Grammar School Non
6 James Cook High School Comp
7 Mangere College Comp
8 Massey High School Non
9 Northcote College Non
10 Onehunga High School Comp
11 Otahuhu College Comp
12 Papakura High School Comp
13 Papatoetoe High School Comp
14 Penrose High school Comp
15 Sir Edmund Hilary Collegiate Non
16 Sir Edmund Hilary Collegiate Comp
17 Southern Cross Senior School Comp
18 St Cuthberts College Non
19 Tamaki College Comp
20 Tangaroa College Comp
21 The Manurewa High School Comp
22 Waitakere College Non
NIUE STAGE ENTRIES
1 Aorere College Comp
2 Alfriston College Comp
3 Avondale College Comp
4 Auckland Girls Grammar School Comp
5 De La Salle College Comp
6 Edgewater College Comp
7 James Cook High School Comp
8 Kelston Girls College Comp
9 Mangere College Comp
10 Marcellin College Comp
11 McAuley High School Comp
12 Massey High School Non
13 Onehunga High School Comp
14 Otahuhu College Comp
15 Papatoetoe High School Comp
16 Sir Edmund Hilary Collegiate Comp
17 Southern Cross Campus withdrawn 19/2 Comp
18 Tangaroa College Comp
19 The Manurewa High School Comp
MAORI STAGE ENTRIES
1 Alfriston College Comp
2 Aorere College Comp
3 Auckland Girls Grammar School Comp
4 Auckland Girls Grammar School Non
5 Avondale College Comp
6 Baradene College of the Sacred Heart & Sacred Heart College Comp
7 Birkenhead College Comp
8 Dilworth School Comp
9 Diocesan School for Girls Comp
10 Edgewater College Comp
11 Epsom Girls Grammar School Comp
12 Glenfield College Comp
13 Hato Petera College Comp
14 James Cook High School - Te Kapunga Comp
15 James Cook High School - Te Pou Herenga Waka Comp
16 James Cook High School - Puutake Comp
17 Kaipara College Comp
18 Kelston Boys High School and Kelston Girls College Comp
19 Kings College Comp
20 Mangere College Comp
21 Massey High School Comp
22 McAuley High School Comp
23 Mount Albert Grammar School Comp
24 Northcote College 'Te Kareti o Onewa' Comp
25 Onehunga High School Non
26 Papatoetoe High School Comp
27 Penrose High school Comp
28 Pukekohe High School Comp
29 Rangitoto College withdrawn 15/02/08 Comp
30 Rosehill College & Otahuhu College Comp
31 Rutherford College Comp
32 Sir Edmund Hilary Collegiate Comp
33 St Cuthberts College Comp
34 Tamaki College Comp
35 Takapuna Grammer School Comp
36 Te Whakekura o Hoani Waititi Marae Comp
37 Te Whanau o Tupuranga Comp
38 Te Wharekura o Piripono Comp
39 The Manurewa High School Comp
40 Waitakere College Comp
41 Western Springs College - Nga Puna o Waiorea Comp
42 Tangaroa College Non
43 Waiheke High School Comp
44 Wesley College & Waiuku College Comp
45 Westlake Boys and Girls High School Comp
SAMOAN STAGE ENTRIES
1 Alfriston College Non
2 Aorere College Comp
3 Auckland Girls Grammar School Comp
4 Auckland Grammar School Comp
5 Avondale College Comp
6 Baradene College of the Sacred Heart Comp
7 Birkenhead College Non
8 Clover Park Middle School CompNON
9 De La Salle College Comp
10 Epsom Girls Grammar School Comp
11 James Cook High School Comp
12 Kelston Boys High School Non
13 Kelston Girls College Comp
14 Liston College Comp
15 Mangere College Comp
16 Marist College withdrawn 14/02 Comp
17 McAuley High School Comp
18 Massey High School Comp
19 Massey High School Tuvaluan Non
20 Mt Roskill Grammar School Comp
21 Onehunga High School Comp
22 Otahuhu College Comp
23 Papatoetoe High School Comp
24 Penrose High school Non
25 Rutherford College Comp
26 Sacred Heart College Comp
27 Sir Edmund Hilary Collegiate Comp
28 Southern Cross Campus Comp
29 St Cuthberts Non
30 St Dominics College Comp
31 St Pauls College Comp
32 St Peters College Comp
33 Tamaki College Comp
34 Tangaroa College Comp
35 The Manurewa High School Comp
36 Waitakere College Comp
37 Wesley College Comp
TONGAN STAGE ENTRIES
1 Aorere College Comp
2 Auckland Girls Grammar School Comp
3 Avondale College Comp
4 Baradene College of the Sacred Heart Comp
5 Carmel College Comp
6 Clover Park Middle School Comp
7 De La Salle College Comp
8 Epsom Girls Grammar School Comp
9 Glenfield College Comp
10 James Cook High School Comp
11 Kelston Boys High School Comp
12 Kelston Girls College Comp
13 Mangere College Comp
14 McAuley High School Comp
15 Marcellin College Comp
16 Marist College Comp
17 Mt Roskill Grammar School Comp
18 Onehunga High School Comp
19 Otahuhu College Comp
20 Papatoetoe High School Comp
21 Penrose High school Comp
22 Rosmini College Comp
23 Sacred Heart College Comp
24 Sir Edmund Hilary Collegiate Comp
25 Southern Cross Campus Comp
26 St Dominics College Comp
27 St Pauls College Comp
28 St Peters College Comp
29 Tamaki College Comp
30 Tangaroa College Comp
31 The Manurewa High School Comp
32 WestlakeGirls High School Comp
33 Wesley College Comp
DIVERSITY STAGE ENTRIES
1 Alfriston College Indian
2 Aorere College Indian
3 Auckland Girls Grammar School Indian
4 Auckland International College Chinese Traditional Dance
5 Avondale College Indian
6 Avondale College Sri Lankan
7 Baradene College of the Sacred Heart Indian
8 Baradene College of the Sacred Heart Chinese
9 Baradene College of the Sacred Heart Korean
10 Botany Downs Secondary College Indian
11 Diocesan School for Girls Indian
12 Epsom Girls Grammar School Indian
13 Epsom Girls Grammar School Chinese
14 Epsom Girls Grammar School Sri Lankan
15 Epsom Girls Grammar School Korean
Howick College Indian
16 James Cook High School Indian
17 Kelston Girls College Indian
18 Lynfield College Indian
19 Mangere College withdrawn 18/02/08 Indian
20 Marcellin College Fijian
21 Marist College Indian
22 McAuley High School Indian
23 Massey High School Indian
24 Mount Albert Grammar School Indian
25 Mt Roskill Grammar School Indian
26 Onehunga High School Indian
27 Otahuhu College Indian
28 Papatoetoe High School Indian
29 Papatoetoe High School Fijian
30 Penrose High School Indian
31 Penrose High School Fijian
32 Rutherford College Indian
33 Southern Cross Senior School Indian
34 St Cuthberts College Indian
35 St Dominics College Indian
36 St Dominics College Chinese
37 St Dominics College Korean
38 St Dominics College Philipino
39 St Dominics College Japanese
40 Tangaroa College Indian
41 Tuakau College Indian
42 The Manurewa High School Indian
43 The Manurewa High School Middle Eastern
44 Waitakere College Indian
45 Waitakere College Thai
ENDS