Earlier this year in July, four of our He Waka Kōtuia rakatahi qualified for the National Ngā Manu Korero competition. This year, due to COVID-19 the national competition was online and live-streamed across the motu. they were judged based on the videos that were taken at the regional competition.
You can read all about their incredible accomplishments at the regional competition here https://www.hwk.maori.nz/post/ngā-manu-kōrero-regionals
Our speakers were able to watch the competition and prizegiving with their peers at school.
We are incredibly proud of our speakers, who all placed in the upper half of their sections at Nationals, which is an outstanding accomplishment.
Congratulations to Kiringāua Cassidy who competed in the Pei Te Hurinui Jones (senior Māori) section and placed 3rd equal in his prepared speech, 3rd in his impromptu and 3rd overall. Kiringāua is among the first in Te Wai Pounamu to gain such incredible results. Kiringāua has been competing at Ngā Manu Korero since he started High School. In 2018 he placed second overall in the Rāwhiti Ihaka (Junior Māori) section at the National competition. One of very few from Te Wai Pounamu to win any Junior Taoka.
In 2019, his first stand in the senior division, he placed 2nd in prepared, 4th in impromptu and 4th overall, only three points shy of first place. Kiringāua has had an incredibly successful journey competing both regionally and nationally.
Kiringāua was pleased to have finished his Ngā Manu Korero career on such a high note and believes the skills he acquired through competing will serve him well into adulthood. He will be travelling to Palmerston North to collect his taoka with all the other winners next year.
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