Eight thousand people gathered at Hagley Park in Christchurch yesterday for the final of the biennial Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival. This year's winner was Eastern Bay of Plenty group Te Kapa Haka o Te Whanau a Apanui.
Based on points, second place was a tie between another Eastern Bay of Plenty group, Opotiki Mai Tawhiti, and Te Matarae i Orehu from Te Arawa, Rotorua.
Of the 45 groups performing at this year's festival, nine teams made it to yesterday's finals, completing seven compulsory disciplines including waiata-a-ringa (action song), poi and haka.
Hagley Park was filled with between 6000 and 8000 spectators for each of the four days.
More than 1800 performers, 1200 workers and 400 volunteers supported the festival, which was hosted by Waitaha Cultural Council, Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu and the Christchurch City Council.
