Listen Now: 
One of the judges for Te Matatini says very little separated the top teams at this year’s competition.
The trophy went to Te Whānau ā Apanui, but Paora Sharples says it came down to a handful of marks.
Te Matatini uses an Olympic judging system, with each section having four judges and the top and bottom marks left off to limit possible bias.
There’s also a moderator who can query rogue marks.
“Every mark counts and it just shows the excellence of all our groups and the ability there. Unfortunately, this is a competition and I remember when Tā Kingi Ihaka asked the people after the 1992 nationals at Ngaruawahia did we still want to stay competitive and that is the path we have taken. When we take that path we take everything that comes with it being a competition,” Mr Sharples says.
Te Matatini regions will discuss whether to continue using full marks or go back to a half mark system, which could affect the outcomes.
RELATED NEWS
