2026 Manarahi Champions

The NZ Secondary School Senior Kī o Rahi Tournament known as Manarahi was held on the 30th March - 1st April 2026.

The competition was held in Lower Hutt and featured 32 teams from across Aotearoa.

The level of play was probably at the highest it has ever been with any one of the Top 8 teams this year being a real chance of winning the tournament.

The competition was won by Te Kura o Te Koutu of Rotorua, a team who have been on the rise since their debut at the National Secondary Schools Competition held in Rotorua in 2023.

We caught up with their coach Tamihana Morunga to find out a little more about this team and their journey to the top.

“Our team started at Nationals in Rotorua in 2023, the majority of the team being Year 9 and 10. I’ve been fortunate enough with these students because they love the sport so it wasn’t hard for me to get them to play.”

“I also exposed them to a high level of play by playing in national teams and Kī o Rahi tournaments such as Taumata and Tapawhā, scheduling games against other kura outside our rohe to help us grow our knowledge and skills.”

“We learnt heaps of lessons from previous competitions too” the team placed 2nd at junior nationals in 2023.

The final was played between two kura Aho Matua with Te Kura o Te Koutu beating Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Waiū o Ngāti Porou in the final.

“We are lucky, our kids grow up together from a young age and know each other really well that makes a big difference compared to schools who come together at high school only.”

Congratulations to all our schools who took part in the competition and congratulations to Te Kura o Te Koutu - 2026 Manarahi Champions!