Poi were a hit at the Women’s Rugby World Cup last year and they are again taking flight in football venues at the Fifa Women’s World Cup being hosted by New Zealand and Australia.
This is in no small measure due to the mahi of Georgia Latu, from Ōtepoti Dunedin, and her company Pōtiki Poi.
The business began as a fundraiser when Georgia was 12, raising $1000 in three days.
"Four years later, I’m the CEO of the largest poi manufacturing company in the world — making poi and teaching the art of poi," Georgia said.
The company’s workforce has expanded to 40 people.
Georgia (Kāi Tahu, Ngāpuhi) won the young Māori business leader award last year in the Māori Business Awards.
She also had Samoan and Tokelaun ancestry and her workshop at the Fifa fan festival was aimed at explaining the origin of poi and how to use it, she said.
Fifa said poi, or ball on a cord, was an international symbol of empowerment that had assumed an important role in major events, and the World Cup offered a platform to use poi to celebrate wāhine.
Its Poi Tukua programme was a national project, and Fifa and the New Zealand government had invested significantly to procure a large number of poi from Māori businesses and communities, Fifa said.
"These poi will be distributed in-stadia to support our female athletes throughout the life of the tournament and beyond."
