The champion Dannevirke Kī o Rahi ki Tamaki nui a Rua team.
Our young people have found a strong passion for kī-o-rahi - especially in Dannevirke. Many of our young people were introduced to this traditional Māori sport through their local school or high school.
Over the past three years, Dannevirke High School had been performing at high levels of intensity -
coming either first second or third in their local regionals and coming in the top seven every year at nationals.
When the local high school showed no interest in pursuing and investing in this kaupapa, the rangatahi decided to form their own personal team calling it Kī o Rahi ki Tamaki nui a Rua.
With the help from our staff and youth leaders taking trainings in their personal time, supplying uniforms and a kī-o-rahi kit to train with and fully funding the participation in competitions throughout the North Island, this team is now in the process of becoming a club team. It has not only local rangatahi but players from Palmerston North wanting to join.
This group of roughly 20 rangatahi from all different walks of life train twice a week (sometimes three times a week) to develop the skills and knowledge needed. For most of these rangatahi this is not only a place to enjoy the sport they love, but a place where they can be themselves, feel valued as a person and a part of something.
