Moana Pounamu Super Haka 10s: Small rōpū, big wairua

Ngā Taonga Mai Tawhiti perform at Moana Pounamu Super Haka 10s

By Elizabeth Wells

The Winter 10s, now known as Moana Pounamu Super Haka 10s, made a comeback last weekend after a four-year hiatus.

Moana Pounamu Super Haka 10s is a kapa haka competition in which 10-member rōpū have 15 minutes to perform a bracket (performance set) of their choice. More traditional competitions, such as Te Matatini, have set brackets that must be performed. 

This year, five teams from across the motu competed in the Queenstown Memorial Hall – three from Ōtautahi, one from Te Whanganui a Tara, and one from Ōtepoti.

Te Ruku a te Kawau, which represented Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ōtepoti, acknowledged in an interview that it had been a long time since any rōpū in Ōtepoti had competed in a pākēkē competition. This rōpū was made up of raukura, kaimahi, and tauira of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ōtepoti.

Their bracket acknowledged both the past and present, paying heed to the tūpuna that allowed them to get where they are now, as well as acknowledging their kura and the rangatahi coming through. This displayed the connection between their tūpuna and te ao rangatahi.

Although Te Ruku a te Kawau did not place, the judges acknowledged the staunch Māoritanga that their performance displayed.

The rangatahi of Ngā Manu a Tāne, a rōpū that competed at Te Matatini 2023, entered their own rōpū into the Moana Pounamu Super Haka 10s called the ‘Mini Manuz.’ The overall kaupapa of their bracket was Matariki, but also acknowledging the rōpū in which they stem from, Ngā Manu a Tāne.

Mini Manuz placed third in the competition and was acknowledged for their kākahu. They saw this kaupapa as a cool opportunity to come together and connect further into the lead up for their next campaign, Te Matatini 2025. 

In the end, the full-tāne rōpū, Ngāhuru Pakiaka, were awarded first place, Ngā Taonga Mai Tawhiti, the rōpū representing Wellington taking second, and Mini Manuz coming third.

Moana Pounamu Super Haka 10s was more than just a competition, it gave each rōpū an opportunity to engage with haka in a fun and different way. Each rōpū was able to use its own creative flair and create a bracket that was entertaining, but also thought-provoking in terms of kaupapa being shared.