Ngā Tūmanako from Auckland have won the national kapa haka competition Te Matatini.
Ngā Tūmanako performing on the morning the third day of Te Matatini, the national kapa haka festival. Photo: Te Matatini, Aotearoa Kapa Haka Ltd.
Despite cold and wet weather, thousands attended the finals of the world's biggest kapa haka competition at Wellington's stadium today.
The Auckland-based group defeated 46 other groups to claim the top prize.
They had a second chance to show their mettle in the nine-group finals today, having challenged people to speak te reo Māori and highlighting the legacy of te reo Māori teachers in their previous perfomance.
Kawariki Morgan and Marama Jones, leaders of Ngā Tūmanako who have been named Te Toa Whakaihuwaka o Te Matatini. Photo: RNZ / Ana Tovey
Ngā Tūmanako leader Kawariki Morgan said it was a dream come true.
"It's surreal, it's the thing that when you grow up doing kapa haka it's your dream to lift the Duncan MacIntyre trophy - now the koro and the Pīmia Wehi trophy.
"It's the stuff that dreams are made of."
Manukura wahine Maram Jones said there was just one message she hoped the audience would take away from their performance.
Thousands of people have been braving the wet weather to attend the finals today. Photo: RNZ / Ana Tovey
"I think for myself, that one message would be 'believe'. Absolutely believe. I think that's the main difference with this campaign.
"Finding out that we had actually won the prelims, that was enough on its own ... to have this on top of that, very emotional and super ecstatic."
Two-time winners Te Whānau ā Apanui placed third, and first-time finalists Te Pikikōtuku o Ngāti Rongomai, from Te Arawa, placed second.
The finalists were announced last night, with Auckland group Te Waka Huia, five-time winners, missing out for the first time.
Some fans were well kitted out on the stadium grounds. Photo: RNZ / Ana Tovey
