3 October 2011

Ki O Rahi, And Wellington, Were The Winners On The Day

The first ever Ki o Rahi Poneke Festival was held on Saturday 1 October at Wakefield Park, Island Bay. The Festival showcased the traditional Maori sport of Ki-o-Rahi, a ball game played in a circular arena which has skills which are transferable to Rugby and Handball.

Event organiser Peter Noanoa said the day was a great success. “It was amazing to see all the rangatahi [young people] taking part and enjoying the game. We aim to build on this and use the event as a spring board to develop the sport in the greater Wellington region.”

Six teams of between 10 and 15 players competed in a social tournament, which was won by WhangaNaki, a whanau based team of mixed ages captained by ex-Maori All Black Norm Broughton. Around 300 people participated in total and those who did not take part in the tournament participated in poi making workshops, ‘Poi-lympic’ games and a Town Belt walk.

When the social grade wrapped up all eyes turned to the main event, the inter-provincial clash between Wellington and Whanganui, which was an exhibition of the skill, strength and strategy required for full contact Ki o Rahi. Wellington came out on top, winning 7-5 off the back of a strong third quarter defensive effort. Wellington was presented with a ceremonial Patu, which has carved motifs representing Whanganui on one side and Wellington on the other. Wellington captain Peter Noanoa said the challenge was now laid down to Whanganui to win the patu back. The challenge was also laid for other iwi to organise and take part in similar events. Part of the legacy of the Ki o Rahi Poneke Festival is that other iwi will be able to use the event planning resources and processes to plan and develop their own Ki o Rahi Festivals.

The event was a part of the REAL New Zealand Festival which runs alongside Rugby World Cup 2011. Visitors to Wakefield Park would have definitely had a taste of the real New Zealand, with an open, friendly and sociable gathering of the diverse cultures of Aotearoa reflecting the spirit of Manaakitanga [hospitality] which underpinned the event.

The event also served to highlight the strong partnerships between mainstream and Maori health service providers, and government agencies. Partner organisations who contributed to the event include Kokiri Hauora, Sport Wellington, Wellington City Council, Heart Foundation, Cancer Society, Health Sponsorship Council, Skills Active and Compass Primary Health Care Network.

ENDS

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