Kī-O-Rahi Waitaha, an Ōtautahi-based collective of passionate individuals and organisations who facilitate the playing and spread of the great Māori ball game, Kī-o-Rahi, have won big at the New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards 2023, held in Tāmaki Makaurau on Monday, July 24, 2023.

The team, which includes our Systems Innovator Lawrence Tau, walked away with the Jim Maniapoto Memorial Taonga, which recognises excellence in impacting Māori participation, as Māori. This award acknowledges an outstanding individual, group or organisation that contributes to whānau, hapū, iwi, Māori Wellbeing through physical activity.

Kī-O-Rahi is a fast-paced ball sport played in Aotearoa with a small round ball called a 'kī'. The game incorporating skills similar to rugby union, netball, tag rugby, handball and touch and involves two teams of eight players on a circular field divided into zones, and score points by touching the 'pou' (boundary markers) and hitting a central 'tupu', or target.  Te Reo is used to keep score, and the pou are named after local maunga — a way of recognising awa hapū, even in contemporary urban marae settings.

Kī-O-Rahi Waitaha have revitalisaed the game by creating Canterbury’s first dedicated Kī-O-Rahi court, organizing mulitple regional and national tournaments which involve more and more teams each year, and providing eduation around the game – cumulating in the finalist nomination for the prestigous Jim Maniapoto Memorial Taonga, and ultimately walking away with the award.

Speaking a couple of days after the Awards Ceremony, Tau was still on cloud nine – and rightly so. “The word popping to my head is “buzzing” - but also, feeling really proud of the crew and the amount of work that has been put in so far. The collective passion and drive to see Kī O Rahi be an access point to Te Ao Māori is what endures when things get tough and keep us focused on our Kaupapa and keeps us showing up day in and day out. From OGs that have been grinding for over a decade to our new peeps, everyone contributes significantly and continues to support the growth Kī-O-Rahi.”

A big congraluations to everyone involved with Kī-O-Rahi Waitaha – we can’t wait to see where Kī-O-Rahi goes in weeks, months and years to come on the back of your hard work and passion for the game! 

Article added: Wednesday 26 July 2023