Te Rangiura o Wairarapa performing on the opening day of the prestigious Te Matatini, the world’s biggest kapa haka competition. The week-long event is being held at Eden Park, Auckland, where 45 teams from throughout New Zealand are competing. Formed in 2015, this is Te Rangiura o Wairarapa’s second time at Te Matatini. The group made its national debut in 2019 at Te Matatini, which has been postponed twice since then due to the pandemic. The top three groups in each pool will qualify to compete in Saturday’s finals, called Te Matangirua. The finalists will be announced tonight. PHOTO/ERICA SINCLAIR