Beautiful weather and plenty of preparation helped make this year’s Delamere Cup a memorable two days for the 25 rōpū who gathered at Te Kaha to celebrate kapa haka.

Hosted for the first time in its history by Te Kura o Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, the competition brought together primary and intermediate school rōpū from across the Mataatua region on Friday and Saturday.

For host principal Teia Herewini, successfully staging the event was an achievement, following several months of planning and preparation.

“This is the first time we have hosted the Delamere Cup in its history, and we were glad the weather was good but also glad to have the infrastructure here to pull it off,” Herewini said.

“We put in several months of planning and preparation to make the event a success and host the two days of kapa haka.”

The hard work was rewarded with two days of performances featuring waiata, haka, poi and other elements of kapa haka, with tamariki given the opportunity to perform in front of whānau and supporters.

The overall results saw Te Kura o Waioweka take out the Delamere Cup, with Te Kura o Te Whānau-ā-Apanui finishing second.

Te Kura Mana Māori o Whangaparaoa placed third, while Te Kura o Ōmarumutū rounded out the top four.

Ōpōtiki schools were also well represented, including Ōpōtiki Primary School and Waiotahe Valley School, which returned to the competition this year after an absence of more than eight years.

Herewini said the value of the Delamere Cup extended well beyond the competition itself.

“The Delamere Cup is a great stepping stone for the tamariki on to secondary competition and Te Matatini, but more importantly it is about giving them a space to express themselves on stage and have that experience,” she said.

“It was also great to include the kōhanga reo group on the first day this time around as well.”

The competition has a long history in the Eastern Bay and has played an important role in developing young kaihaka, kaiako, composers, judges and organisers across the region, as well as providing another opportunity for the next generation of kaihaka to build confidence, strengthen their reo and tikanga, and enjoy the experience of performing together.