By Jevayce Isaacs & Hadler Steele | Posted: Thursday October 26, 2023
On Thursday 26th October the Te Kura Mareko Casebrook Intermediate held its annual Ki o Rahi tournament.
Many contributing schools travelled to our school to compete and play a good game of Ki o Rahi. Ki o Rahi is a traditional Māori game. It is played using a barrel, small cones, poles, and a ball. Players score by passing the ball around and touching all these poles. Then, they throw the ball at the barrel and if it passes the fierce defenders, you score.
Ki o Rahi is actually based on a Māori myth about Rahitutakahina and Tiarakurapakewai. The story is of a man and his wife. Tiara was kidnapped and taken from Rahi. Rahi had found a special rock. But then the people who kidnapped Tiara Patupaiarehe had cast a spell and spawned a giant lizard. The lizard dug up a circular shaped trench. While the trench was getting dug up it started to get filled up with water. Rahi could have easily swum over but the lizard was smart and became a Taniwha named Utuwai.
While most of this was happening a Hokioi bird named Namu was flying over them and when it became night, the bird went over him so he could sleep. His father came and made another spell and made an ice bridge over them so he could go on the other side. After they went to a volcano, Patupaiarehe. They made peace and made a game that replicates this story. This is the myth of Ki o Rahi.
Players from many schools enjoyed the day of sunshine, fun and competition. A spectator, Kade, said “something they need to work on is staying out of the circle”. From the players we talked to, it was a fun day and they enjoyed the day! Can’t wait for next year.