Anyone turning up at Waipapakauri Domain on a rainy afternoon last Saturday could have been forgiven for thinking that the Northland league season had begun early.
Well known rugby and league players from throughout the province were there playing other in deceptively intense fashion in the league challenge of the second annual Ngai Takoto Festival from December 26 to 29.
The event, which organisers promised would deliver "three awesome days of whanau, food and sports and much much more", was designed to reunite iwi of four marae, Kaimaumau (Wharemaru o Kaimaumau), Paparore (Te paa a Parore), Waimanoni and Mahimaru. The festival began last Thursday (Boxing Day) with a local cemetery/ marae clean up beautify session before a powhiri, dinner and registrations took place at Te Rangi Aniwaniwa. The sporting aspect of the festival took place over the following two days, Friday and Saturday, with events including a waka ama regatta on Lake Ngatu along with Iron Maori, basketball, bowls, touch, softball and netball games while other activities which included a kids' splash and dash event and a pamper session for elders aged 65 and over.
The abovementioned league game, Ngai Takoto North vs Ngai Takoto South, provided a hardhitting climax to the daytime activities on the festival card. Both sides were made up of those still living in the area and expats who had returned home - from as far away as Australia, where some have been playing at Queensland Cup level - to the Far North over the Christmas holidays to be part of proceedings and catch up with whanau and friends.
The match was notably reffed by Nick Wright, the former Kiwi fullback who was part of a historic win over what was regarded as one of the best Australian sides of all time in 1983. [That result was celebrated in the Herald recently which noted, "A turning point came early in the second half, when Meninga broke through near halfway and looked certain to score as he thundered down the right touchline. The diminutive Wright appeared out of nowhere and somehow floored the giant Australian centre just before the corner flag."]
