Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue at 2025 Te Matatini Festival at Pukekura/Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth. Photo: Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises
Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue have won the title of Toa Whakaihuwaka - the champions of Te Matatini.
The rōpū from the Te Arawa region have been crowned champions for the first time.
Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue at 2025 Te Matatini Festival at Pukekura/Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth. Photo: Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises
Their victory marks the end of Te Matatini o Kāhui Maunga, where a record 55 teams took to the stage making it the biggest festival to date.
Second place went to from Ngāti Rangiwēwehi - also from Te Arawa - while third went to Ngā Tumanako from Tāmaki Makaurau.
The twelve finalists performed on Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd of 15,000 at Pukekura the Bowl of Brooklands.
Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue at 2025 Te Matatini Festival at Pukekura/Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth. Photo: Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises
Ngāti Whakaue leader Te Ngāwari Wright said she was is in shock and had not yet found the words to describe the victory.
She said the biggest difference between this performance and the groups second equal placement at the last festival in Auckland was a cohesive theme.
"Ko tetahi āhuatanga i panoni pea mai i tērā atu Matatini ko te whakakotahi i ngā whakaaro ki tetahi kaupapa, nā ko te kaupapa ko te aroha, nō muri mai i te matenga o tō tātau koroua."
"One thing that we changed from the last Matatini was to bring our ideas together into a cohesive theme, that is love. After the passing of our elder."
Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue at 2025 Te Matatini Festival at Pukekura/Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth. Photo: Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises
Her fellow leader Cori Marsters said the group achieved their goal of living up to the legacy left by the late Sir Bom Gillies.
"I tutuki tērā taha o mātau, te kawea mai i ā Koro Bom ki kōnei, ko tāna ōhākī 'kia mau ki te aroha."
"We achieved that, bringing Koro Bom here, his parting wish to us was to 'kia mau ki te aroha."
Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue at 2025 Te Matatini Festival at Pukekura/Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth. Photo: Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises
In a statement, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka said the pinnacle of Māori performing arts was on full display at Te Matatini o Kāhui Maunga on Saturday.
"[Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue] were one of those groups who just took to the stage and made it their own.
"Their uniqueness, their wairua Māori, shone throughout their performance and that was a poignant point of difference.
"I heard a beautiful expression that stuck with me earlier this week: 'The waiata goes into my ears and out my eyes'.
"Seeing the passion in their performance and being part of that sold-out crowd was an awesome feeling."
Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue at 2025 Te Matatini Festival at Pukekura/Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth. Photo: Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises
Potaka said it was the culmination of the biggest Te Matatini ever seen, with 55 rōpū performing with Te Mahau under the watch of Te Kāhui Maunga.
"We've seen whānau lining up for hours in the mornings to get the best spots.
"We've seen Ōpotiki Mai Tawhiti give an emotional tribute to their lost loved ones including former leader Ricky Mitai.
"And we've seen those just at the start of their reo journey; they might not understand all the kupu yet but they can feel it and know they're resonating with something magic."
That was why the government had made the largest ever investment in Te Matatini at the last Budget, Potaka added, with $48.7 million over three years.
"We want to make sure that this event can continue to grow and thrive."
Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue at 2025 Te Matatini Festival at Pukekura/Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth. Photo: Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises
People's Choice
The new Kohine Ponika "People's Choice" award has also seen spectators surging to the Te Matatini app for vote their favourite kapa.
The inaugural winners are Te Kuru Marutea from Te Tauihu, whose Waiata ā Tira wowed crowds enough to push them to being top pick for People's Choice.
Naia Awatea is a member of the group and told RNZ winning the award would be particularly special for them because kapa from the South Island often go under the radar at Te Matatini.
"It's overwhelming but, at the same time, it's a huge change for us from Te Waipounamu and the standard that everybody naturally has for us. This is a huge step for us and it's so exciting. I'm just so proud of our kapa for finally - in the most humble way - making our mark," Awatea said.
"We try our best to put it all out on the stages, to make it to these big stages [but] the majority of the time we go unnoticed because of where we're - that's just being real.
"So to be here and be recognised for our efforts is fufilling."
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
