By STACEY BODGER
ROTORUA - The art of swinging poi during a Maori haka performance is usually the domain of women, leaving men to perform the fierce challenge.
But the traditional roles were reversed at the Waiariki Secondary Schools Kapa Haka Festival in Rotorua at the weekend, where Rotorua Boys' High School pupils put on a skilled poi display and delighted the 1500-strong audience.
In the past, Rotorua Boys' and Rotorua Girls' High Schools have teamed up to enter a combined male and female performance group for the competition. But this year, the two schools chose to perform separate 30-minute haka and each take on both sides of the traditional challenge.
Rotorua Boys', highly favoured to win the competition, themselves received a haka from members of the audience as they flaunted their new talents. They did not shy away from the difficult poi moves either, using double, single, long and short poi.
A roaring haka from Rotorua Girls' was equally well received but the novel performances were not enough to sway the 14 judges.
Western Heights High School, also from Rotorua, won the regional honours from the 20 other schools from the Te Arawa and Mataatua regions.
The Western Heights team was coached by Trevor Maxwell, the leader of Rotorua's famed Ngati Rangiwewehi cultural group.
Western Heights and runner-up Opotiki College will represent the Waiariki district at the inaugural New Zealand Secondary Schools Kapa Haka festival in Auckland this weekend.
Boys with pois prove festival hit
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