Te Tai Tokerau, New Zealand, March 16, 2022 – A sports initiative encouraging intergenerational play through tikanga-led sport is hitting home for whānau and iwi in the Far North.

Native Sports Performance is dedicated to providing new opportunities for Far North communities to connect and play, but with sports events being hit hard due to Covid-19, clubs are learning to adapt to the traffic light settings so whānau can remain active.

Rohe Wars is a new pilot series which aims to give the entire whānau the opportunity to come together in safe spaces.

Founder Rawinia Everitt has drawn inspiration from the Māori Pā Wars, to strengthen whanaungatanga and healthy lifestyles in Te Tai Tokerau.

The Ngāti Porou inter-marae sports festival has been the pinnacle event for Māori since 1995, with Marae celebrating family values whilst chasing bragging rights in sports catered to all age groups.

The former Black Fern and Northern Mystics player said she wanted to give the entire whānau the opportunity to come together in safe spaces.

“It’s all about connection, being able to get together, to have some friendly rivalry between rohe whilst keeping our whānau safe,” she said.

“We’re starting to adapt to this new normal where we’re in this pandemic, there’s this whole new kaupapa with Covid, life in red, and so we wanted to explore ways in which we could come together and look at how we could mitigate risks to protect our communities.”

The Hokianga Hornets hosted the first of three series in Kohukohu last month, with Ngāti Rēhia and Muriwhenua travelling to compete in tag, volleyball and a water bombing competition.

Basketball, tag, and a mystery activity showcasing culture and pepeha was at the heart of the second series held by Ngāti Rēhia at Matauri Bay School.

But it all comes down to the final leg with Muriwhenua hosting at Te Rangi Āniwaniwa in Awanui this Saturday, where all three rohe go head-to-head in basketball, tag and Kī-o-rahi.

The rohe with the most points overall will decide the inaugural champions, taking home the King’s trophy – a waka ama paddle gifted by one of Aotearoa’s most successful families in the sport, the King whānau.

Mike Te Wake of Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa said it was exciting to see some positive activities happening in rural communities.

“Covid-19 has had a huge impact on whānau both physically and mentally, but the Games have really lifted community spirit,” he said.

“As Māori, we’re use to communal things, a lot of us miss living on our marae, doing something as simple as a harirū, a hongi, but we can’t do those sorts of things [with Covid], so when you’ve got something like this bringing us together and being able to do it in a safe way for all our whānau, I’m all for it.”

Muriwhenua supporter Canary Herbert said the Games had encouraged everyone to get involved.

“There’s a lot of whakawhanaunga going on here and it’s nice to see not just our tamariki, but the taiohi and pakeke playing as well.”

Healthy Families Far North has been working alongside Native Sport Performance to understand what it takes to create safe ways to play and gather in red light settings for rural communities.

Rawinia Everitt who joined Healthy Families Far North as a Systems Innovator earlier this year, said safety was always at the forefront when thinking about spaces to gather.

“If we can work together and role model something that ensures the health and wellbeing of our people is what’s most important, then there’s potential for us to host our own competitions and our own activities, so we can stay active and stay connected with each other no matter what the setting.”

Māori Systems Innovator Elizabeth Motu said the Games have also highlighted what works for Māori, in Māori settings.

“It hasn’t just been about playing sport and winning points, it’s really showcased our love for our cuture,” she said.

“It’s created banter, competitiveness and creativity, but most importantly it’s showed that we’re all connected and that everyone has a place.”

“We’re always talking about the barriers we face when it comes to doing things, especially living rurally. We know opportunities are scarce, but it’s exciting to see these rohe, iwi and whānau changing the narrative.”

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