Northland ki o rahi: Okaihau College win second regional competition in a row

The winning Okaihau College Green players, from left, from back, Eilise Te Huia, Freda Blaikie, Siakini Taulangau, Alyssa Williams, Feleni Manufetoa, Fe'ao Taulangau, Logan Salmons, Graham Sharp, Taupiri Cowan, Tayna Munro-Beazley, Kerri Johnson and Jayden Edmonds. Photo / Debbie Beadle

The Okaihau College Green ki o rahi team confirmed their place at the top of Northland's secondary school standings, winning division one of the regional competition in Kaikohe on Friday.

It was the second consecutive regional win for Okaihau College in a competition which featured almost 200 players at Lindvart Park last week. By finishing first, the school team qualified as the top local hope for the national secondary school competition to be held in Northland in April next year.

Photographer Debbie Beadle went along to catch some of the action.

Results

Division one
1st: Okaihau College
2nd: Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe
3rd: Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Taumarere
4th: Bay of Islands College
5th: Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Pukemiro
6th: Kerikeri High School
7th: Whangārei Girls' High School and Whangārei Boys' High School combined
8th: Northland College
9th: Te Kura Taumata o Panguru
10th: Mangakahia Area School

Division two (Taumarere Pool)
1st: Okaihau College
2nd: Te Kāpehu Whetū
3rd: Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Taumarere
4th: Northland College
5th: Opononi Area school

Division two (Hokianga Pool)
1st: Springbank School
2nd: Dargaville High School
3rd: Bay of Islands College
4th: Mangakahia Area school

Sport Northland's Marcia Aperahama (left) presents Okaihau College's Siakini Taulangau with a taonga known as "Te Mauri" which is given to a school of the next national ki o rahi competition hosts, which is Northland in 2020. Photo / Debbie Beadle

Snow O'Halloran, from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe (front), tries to escape the clutches of an Okaihau College Green player in the division one final. Photo / Debbie Beadle

Okaihau College's Feleni Manufetoa looks skyward as he goes to catch the ki (ball). Photo / Debbie Beadle

Mangakahia Area School's (in blue) Maraea Aramu Heta, Betsy Tribble and Brooklyn Pira Waa prepare for a shot from the taniwha player from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Taumarere. Photo / Debbie Beadle

Okaihau College's Logan Salmons (left) tries to evade his opponent from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Pukemiro. Photo / Debbie Beadle

Mangakahia Area School's Lui Waa (right), playing as a kioma, dives forward into the pawero for a tupumanawa (try), narrowly missing a tīhae (rip) from a taniwha player from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Taumarere. Photo / Debbie Beadle

Te Kāpehu Whetū's Cruz Broughton (number five) gets high to take a shot at the tupu as two Northland College kaitiaki (defenders) prepares to block. Photo / Debbie Beadle

Conway Vakatini-Harding, from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe (left), tries to chase down Okaihau College's Logan Salmons. Photo / Debbie Beadle

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe's Snow O'Halloran tries to get his shot at the tupu around an Okaihau College kaitiaki in the division one final. Photo / Debbie Beadle