19/03/2026
Pānui Pāpāho | Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
19 Maehe 2026
Te Arawa Kapa Haka Trust confirms joint first placing following review
Te Arawa Kapa Haka Charitable Trust hosted over 10,000 attendees at the recent Te Arawa Kapa Haka Regionals 2026, which saw over 1,000 kaihaka take to the stage resulting in the most competitive regional competition to date.
At the conclusion of the competition two kapa; Te Pikikōtuku o Ngāti Rongomai and Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue, received the same aggregate score.
On the night, the tie-breaker rule, Rule 7.4, was applied during the collation of results. Following a subsequent review, the Trust has confirmed that this rule was applied in circumstances where it was not required, as both kapa had already met the qualifying threshold for Te Matatini. Evidently, Te Arawa was not able to celebrate two joint-overall winners along with the high calibre of performances throughout the weekend.
The Trust acknowledges the application of the tie-break rule and has engaged both kapa in a hohou rongo process. The Trust takes full responsibility for this error and offers an unreserved apology to both kapa and their whānau.
We acknowledge Rule 8.9, “A public announcement of results is final” was not applied in this instance as this would have upheld an outcome that did not reflect the correct result. As such a significant event for our iwi, hapū and whānau, we regret the impact this has had. A review is underway to ensure greater clarity moving forward.
The final scores remain unchanged. The official result of the Te Arawa Kapa Haka Regionals 2026 competition will be updated to record the following:
Joint first place: Te Pikikōtuku o Ngāti Rongomai and Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue.
The Trust commends the exceptional standard of both kapa, and acknowledges the commitment of their kaihaka, tutors and whānau, alongside all rōpū who contributed to the strength of this kaupapa.
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa mō tō koutou tautoko me tō koutou ū ki te kaupapa.
ENDS
Media Contact
Kahurangi Milne | Te Arawa Kapa Haka Charitable Trust
[email protected] | +64 21 657 648
