The road to Te Matatini o Ngā Taniwha 2027 has become very real for 57 of the finest kapa haka from across Aotearoa and Australia, with the competition draw now setting the stage for the battle at Hopuhopu.
Qualifying kapa representing 13 regions have been allocated across four preliminary competition pools, determining who they will perform alongside when the national kapa haka festival gets underway next February.
The draw was held at Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia, marking another major milestone in the countdown to what is expected to be one of the biggest Māori cultural events of 2027.
Around 2,000 performers are expected to take part after qualifying through regional competitions across Aotearoa and Australia.
For the kapa, the draw is much more than finding out which day and pool they will perform in.
It allows months of planning to begin in earnest as kaihaka, tutors, composers and whānau prepare for the national stage.
Behind every performance will be countless hours of wānanga and rehearsal, along with the fundraising, travel, accommodation, costume preparation and whānau support required to take a kapa to Te Matatini.
The four preliminary pools will eventually determine which kapa progress to Te Matangirua, the festival’s grand final.
The draw itself does not provide any judging advantage, with every kapa assessed independently against Te Matatini’s competition criteria.
Once allocated, kapa are also unable to switch competition pools.
Te Matatini o Ngā Taniwha will be held at Hopuhopu from February 23 to 27, bringing the country’s premier kapa haka competition back to the Waikato.
The event is being hosted by Te Kīngitanga, Waikato-Tainui and Te Whare Haka o Tainui Waka.
For Tainui, hosting Te Matatini brings the country’s leading kapa onto whenua carrying enormous cultural and historical significance for the Kiingitanga and Waikato-Tainui.
And for kapa around the motu, the countdown has now entered another gear.
They know their pool.
They know their competition.
And now the mahi begins.
Fifty-seven kapa. More than 2,000 performers. Four pools.
One stage to determine who will become the next Toa Whakaihuwaka of Te Matatini.
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