from the Council

If you have a year seven or eight child at a local school you might be hearing a lot about Ki o Rahi. Taught by Māori games experts Tū Mātau Ora, 1100 students will be introduced to the game in the coming weeks.

A traditional Māori game based on the Purakau (legend) of Rahitutakahina and the rescue of his wife Tiarakurapakewai, Ki o Rahi is played on a circular field and involves running, passing, jump shots, and communication between teammates. Ki o Rahi is being taught in 11 Kāpiti schools as part of our School Sports programme.  Ka rawe [how excellent]!

According to Te Aka Maori Dictionary this is “a traditional ball game — played with a small round flax ball called a kī. Two teams of seven players, kaioma and taniwha, play on a circular field divided into zones, and score points by touching the pou (boundary markers) and hitting a central tupu, or target. The game is played with varying rules (e.g. number of people, size of field, tag ripping rules, etc.) depending on the geographic area it is played in. It is played for 4 quarters or 2 halves of a set time, teams alternate roles of kīoma and taniwha at 1/2 or 1/4 time.”