The full-day event showcased the best secondary school kapa haka competition that Murihiku and Otakou had to offer.
The top two kura will proceed on to nationals.
Kapa haka groups from Otago and Southland schools commanded the stage while a panel of 12 judges scrutinised their efforts.
Judge Jeff Ruha travelled to Southland for the first time for the competition and was impressed with what he had seen — particularly how alive kaupapa Māori was in the South.
"Invercargill and Auckland are just worlds apart.
"So to come down here and witness the kids going up and doing their best, that’s all we can ask for."
Judge Keanu Ayer said he had seen a lot of passion from the presenting groups.
"The further south you go there seems to be a lot more passion.
"It’s a great way to bring young people and whanau together and a great way for Māori to reconnect with their Māori tanga."
He was pleased to also see people from other cultures joining the kapa haka groups on stage.
"They have just thrown themselves in the deep end to engage and learn things of Māori."
Of the 11 teams to compete, He Waka Kotuia (Dunedin) and Te Wharekura o Arowhenua (Invercargill) won the top two positions and will go to the national competitions in Nelson mid-2024.
Otago-Southland regional co-ordinator and kapa haka tutor Komeme Cassidy believed since kapa haka had been made a recognised university-level subject, there had been a lift in the quality of performances.
He had also been coaching the He Waka Kotuia team which had put in up to 60 hours a week during the holidays to fine-tune the choreographing and co-ordinate the seven performance items.
There were multiple layers of putting on a half-hour bracket for the competitive teams.
His team were overjoyed with the top spot.
"You put in a lot of hard work and it really is recognition for the hours they put in to get there."
He felt encouraged to see emerging groups from Mt Aspiring College enter the non-competitive division for the first time, and returning groups that had temporarily folded or were smaller, such as Invercargill’s Aurora College, get back on the stage.
— Toni McDonald
