New Zealand's largest te reo Māori only netball event thriving on the court

A kaupapa Māori netball tournament is committed to creating a space where te reo Māori is the norm - on and off the court - and where tamariki can compete, connect and kōrero in an environment that uplifts the language.

Hundreds of players and supporters gathered at Netball Waitākare last Friday for Puni Reo Poitarawhiti - the country's biggest netball tournament conducted entirely in te reo Māori.

Underpinned by whanaungatanga, the event is continuing to grow - with over 76 teams from kura kaupapa Māori and kura auraki competing and celebrating the Māori language at the 2025 whakataetae.

The theme for the kaupapa is 'Ko te Reo te Take!' meaning 'The language is the reason!'

'More than netball'

The annual tournament began in 2018 with just 60 teams. It's now grown into a significant kaupapa in the wider language revitalisation movement, drawing in kura from across Tāmaki Makaurau and Te Tai Tokerau.

Marutawhaorere Delamere (Whānau Apanui, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Maniapoto) has helped lead the kaupapa from the very beginning.

He said the growth of the tournament was proof that te reo Māori and te ao Māori continue to flourish - regardless of politics.

"He tino harikoa, mai i te orokotimatanga o te kaupapa, ka kite mātou i ngā tau kua āta puāwai te nuinga o ngā kura, ngā tīma e tino hiakai ana ki tēnei o ngā kaupapa."

It's fantastic to see the turnout. Since its inception, this competition has continued to attract more and more schools wanting to participate. It's really uplifting to see so many different schools show such an eagerness and dedication to celebrate te reo.

"Wā tātou tamariki Māori e noho ana i ngā wāhi tauiwi, tā rātou tino hiakai. Nō reira he tino pai, ka koa te ngākau. He nui te aroha atu ki ngā tāngata kua whai wā ki te kaupapa."

It's really heartening to see the growth of Pākehā supporting this kaupapa and helping expand the environments outside of school where our tamariki Māori can use their reo in practical everyday situations like this. We are very thankful to all the schools that take part.

One of the most important aspects of the kaupapa was that players were penalised for speaking English during gameplay - a rule that helps normalise te reo Māori in competitive, high-energy spaces.

Delamere said this was something embedded in the competition from the very beginning.

"Nō reira koina pea te aaki o te kaupapa - ki ngā kaitākaro kia mau ki te reo me te arero Māori i a rātou e tākaro ana. Ka kite pea i roto anō i te āhuatanga harikoa o te tangata, i te āhua wairua toa o te tangata, i tā rātou e hiakai ana i te reo."

This is much more than a netball competition - this is a challenge for everyone involved. Whether they're playing or on the sidelines, the aim is to stick to te reo Māori and encourage players to keep te reo Māori in their minds.

"Nō reira koira tētahi o ngā tino ture e āta tiro ana e te komiti whakahaere - me pēhea pea te whakawhānui, kia mau tonu ki te reo Māori i te papa tākaro katoa - haunga anō ngā kaitākaro, ngā kairīwhi, ngā kaiako anō hoki."

Often in environments like this, it's easy to slip back into English because there's a lot of energy - so it's a great mental challenge to stay focused on your language. This is something the organisers, referees, and everyone monitors.

We encourage everyone to speak Māori no matter what level they're at. It's a fantastic way to expand and embed Māori as a normal, everyday language.

Delamere said while kura kaupapa Māori continued to champion te reo, Puni Reo Poitarawhiti was built for all ākonga Māori - including those in mainstream schools - to help them grow their confidence in te ao Māori.

"E ngana ana ki te kōrero. Ko ētahi o ngā kura he kura auraki, engari e mau ana i ētahi kaupapa Māori i roto anō i tā rātou kura. Engari e ngana ana. Engari koira te tino kaupapa o te Puni Reo - ehara i te mea kāore e hiahia kia hoatu i tētahi wā mō ngā kura kaupapa, engari e hiahia ana ki te toro atu ki ā tātou tamariki Māori."

"Kei te mōhio mātou kāore e whai wāhi ana ki te kura kaupapa Māori, te wharekura anō hoki, e whakaatuhia rātou te ātaahua o tō tātou reo. Koira pea te tino aronga mō tēnei kaupapa."

A lot of mainstream schools are participating now. While they're mainstream, many of them have classes or units for te reo Māori. The main thing isn't fluency for our participants - it's more about using the language outside of school.

The goal was never to create this kaupapa as a space for kura kaupapa alone. We wanted to extend the invitation to as many kura as possible so their students - not just the Māori students - had the opportunity to be a part of something that celebrates their language and culture in such an exciting and unifying way.

'First and foremost, we are here for the language'

Professor Jenny Lee-Morgan (Waikato Ngāti Mahuta, Te Ahiwaru) championed the kaupapa alongside her husband Eruera Lee-Morgan in 2018, after realising that despite the large Māori presence in community netball, te reo Māori was still missing from the court.

"I takaro netipōro ahau i te wā e tamariki ana, whā tekau ngā tau inaianei, kāre au i rongo i taku reo e puta mai. Ahakoa te nuinga he Māori, nō reira, kua tae te wa kia whakaamāori te katoa o ngā wāhi mā tatou mo te iwi nei.

I used to play netball, some 40 years ago now, and despite the majority of the players, coaches etc being Māori, I never heard our language. So, when my kids started playing our whānau decided it was time to change that.

She said this kind of environment is a fun and less formal place for tamariki to speak te reo openly and be surrounded by others who will support them.

"Tuatahi ko te reo i tino whai wāhi mātou ko tōku whānau e ngā wāhi kōrero Māori ana mo aku tamariki."

First and foremost, we are here for the language, our whānau are constantly searching for places and events that allow us and our children especially to celebrate our language.

"Tokotoru aku tamariki ki konei i tēnei ra e rua ngā kura. Kia whai wāhi kia kōrero Māori kia whakanui i te reo kia tāku i te reo, kia harikoa ngā tamariki i te wā e takaro ana, tērā te take e hara mai ana ki tēnei kaupapa."

I have three of my children participating today. We want our children in environments that normalise our language in an exciting, fun and exhilarating way, that's why we are a part of this.

Looking forward, Delamere said they want to see this kaupapa expand and go further beyond netball.

"Nō reira he koa ngā ngākau i tērā, me te kite atu he aha pea te pitomata o tēnei momo kaupapa i ngā hākinakina rerekē - haunga ko te pōitarawhiti, pēnei i te poitūkohu - haunga anō ngā kēmu Māori pēnei i te waka ama, te kī-o-rahi, ko ngā kēmu e tino kite ana i te nui o ngā tāngata Pākehā."

We really want to see this expand and go further beyond netball - we want it on the basketball courts too. We've managed this in sports like waka ama and kī-o-rahi, and we want it to grow.

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