A player from the Scottland Women's Rugby team has a Hongi with a member of Ngati Wai. Photo / Jaime Lyth
The sounds of bagpipes and haka were in full force in Whangārei this week as a visiting rugby team enjoyed a cultural welcome.
Ngātiwai iwi welcomed the Scottish women's rugby team at Ngunguru Marae on Tuesday.
The team is staying at Oceans Resort Hotel, Tūtūkaka (owned by Ngātiwai) for the Women's Rugby World Cup this week.
With over 100 whanaunga present on the marae it was a night of entertainment and cultural sharing.
"I think a lot of us Māori have Scottish whakapapa, I joked that they weren't Scottish at four o'clock but they were Scottish by six o'clock," said Te Kura Manawa Simon Mitchell.
Tamariki from Tikipunga High School performed a haka and Ngātiwai Kaumātua Kapa Haka provided waiata, haka and poi.
The rugby team got involved and learnt the words and actions of the waiata Tū Tira Mai Ngā Iwi.
"They picked it up in probably like 20 minutes. They perfected it," Mitchell said.
Taimahi Trust, an initiative that provides meaningful work for people with disabilities, provided the attendees with a delicious hāngī dinner at the whare kai.
"Then we had chowder and fry bread and steam pudding, kind of traditional food," Mitchell said.
The Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm presented a gift to the iwi and finished the night by sharing their country's own song.
"We all got in a big circle and had the bagpipes playing and sang the song together," Mitchell said.
Mitchell said the way the team openly embraced a new culture stood out to him.
"By the end of the night we were one really. We got to share their culture and they got to share ours."
Mitchell said the iwi is happy to host any of the other teams participating in the cup and encouraged them to get in touch.
Scotland take on the Black Ferns at Northland Events Centre, in Whangārei on Saturday, with the game kicking off at 4.45pm.
One person died at the scene of a vehicle crash at Horeke, on Saturday morning.