Whānau regroup at Whangaruru School for Mokau Marae rebuild fundraiser touch tournament

Ariki Murphy, 14, (right) tries and fails to avoid the touch of Destinee Mexted at the Mokau Marae rebuild fundraiser touch tournament at Whangaruru School on Thursday. Photo / Adam Pearse

Whānau packed out Whangaruru School for the Mokau Marae rebuild fundraiser touch tournament on Thursday.

The competition, which featured 10 teams playing in A and B grades, saw more than 200 people attend with people coming from as far away as Perth.

The A grade was won by Wiki's Tamariki with the Hetaraka's finishing second. B grade was won by Rau Ora kids and second went to Wiki's Social.

The tournament was the third in a three-part sporting fundraising scheme for the Oakura-based marae, which was ravaged by fire in 2013 and is set to reopen in June this year.

Kalani Going, a Canberra Raiders rugby league prospect, takes the ball to the line. Photo / Adam Pearse

Many of those who gathered for the touch tournament also participated in a netball tournament on December 27 and a basketball competition on December 28.

While the three sporting fundraisers had been run for about six years, a touch or rugby union competition had been held at Whangaruru School in the new year on and off for about 20 years.

Father and son duo Juan, 40, (left) and six-year-old Teina Murphy plan their attack. Photo / Adam Pearse

Forty-year-old Juan Murphy, who whakapapas to Whangaruru, travelled from his current home in the Gold Coast with his wife and six children to help raise funds. Murphy, who was playing alongside his children, last attended the competition about 16 years ago.

While the tournament was held in the name of rebuilding Mokau Marae, its purpose was in reuniting whānau and seeing generations playing alongside each other.

Northland basketball legend Carmen Hetaraka (right) keeps his eyes fixed on the ball as teammate and relative LJ Hetaraka points out his way forward. Photo / Adam Pearse

A riveted bench watches on at Whangaruru School on Thursday. Photo / Adam Pearse

Kodi McQueen, 25, from Whangārei sends a pass wide. Photo / Adam Pearse

Referee Brena Smith cut a striking figure. Photo / Adam Pearse

The wind did play havoc at times. Photo / Adam Pearse

Destinee Mexted was a stand-out on Thursday. Photo / Adam Pearse