NZ champion Tāneatua golf trio receive haka homecoming from schoolmates

Pupils at a small rural Bay of Plenty town school stood shoulder to shoulder today to welcome back their heroic classmates after a they won a national golfing title.

The proud youngsters at Tāneatua School in the Eastern Bay of Plenty led a rousing and emotional cheer for the golfing team of Bayleigh Teepa-Tarau, Pedro Robinson and Lincoln Reneti in a packed school hall.

The entire community turned out to haka pōwhiri the trio and their inspirational coach Whetu Wiremu home to Tūhoe territory.

The sporting trio won the nine-hole golf competition at the national Zespri AIMS Games held in Tauranga this month, with star performer Bayleigh Teepa-Tarau amassing a staggering 87 Stableford points from his three nine-hole rounds.

Bayleigh Teepa-Tarau on his way to victory. Photo / John Broughton

Bayleigh’s achievement is all the more outstanding considering the 12-year-old big hitter has played just three rounds of golf in his life before, and is autistic … and Tāneatua doesn’t even have a golf course.

The boys all competed with borrowed golf clubs, which Tāneatua School teacher-aide and novice golf coach Whetu Wiremu sourced from his good mates. Proudly watching Bayleigh confidently walk down the fairways and greens in basketball boots with a beaming smile were his parents Hemi Tarau and Pare Teepa, along with his grandfather and nan following in a cart.

Wiremu said he and fellow teaching staff at Tāneatua School watched in awe as the young students broke out into a stirring haka to honour their champion schoolmates back to class this week, with the three champions standing in front of them, accepting the challenge and responding in kind.

“It was made even more special that we could do this during Maori Language Week,” said Whetu.