Twenty-two kapa haka teams, including the current Te Matatini champions, will take to the stage this weekend at the Mātaatua senior regional competitions in the Bay of Plenty, showcasing some of the strongest kapa haka performers in the country.
Te Matatini Mātaatua delegate Te Kahautu Maxwell says the calibre of kapa haka is strong in the region because performing arts helps to boost morale and is a main form of expression for whānau.
“We come from small towns and villages, and most of us live a simple village and pā life. Kapa haka gives us purpose,” says Te Kahautu.
A research report commissioned by Te Matatini called Ngā Hua a Te Matatini: The benefits of kapa haka to Aotearoa, released in June 2022, found kapa haka contributed to the mental and physical wellbeing of performers. The academic report says kapa haka provided a sense of belonging and community and allowed individuals to be “unashamedly Māori”.
![Te Matatini Mātaatua delegate Te Kahautu Maxwell. Photo / Erica Sinclair Photography](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/URQATDI4VBBFHFM5FHPQQJ7AOI.jpg?auth=dc965a8aecc04648c8b9cc6c15c59549557a817fa2a4729fb4965a90ee7ea5b8&width=16&height=24&quality=70&smart=true)