Kī o Rahi

Kids playing the traditional Māori game Kī o Rahi . Source: Supplied. 

Kī o Rahi, the game that dominated our high school years, brought fire to our bellies, and mud to our knees. The competition would flood school fields and fuel school spirit as this relatively new sport took over P.E classes. But the game of Kī o Rahi was not designed to just be played, as the story and the legends it stemmed from make it so much more than a game.  

It is essential when learning the game, that the puurakau (story) is also learnt. Though most games you wouldn’t think twice about how they came about, legendary tales within Te ao Māori culture serve as more than just narratives; they are important components of Māori culture and identity, preserving the worldview and values of Māori. 

Let me tell you a story… 

A long time ago, a fierce warrior named Rahitūtakahina (Rahi) was married to a beautiful wahine, Tīarakurapakewai (Tī Ara). One day, the Patupaiarehe—fairy-like beings of the forest—kidnapped Tī Ara, taking her to their home, a large volcano. To hinder Rahi's pursuit, they cast a spell that created a thick, vine-filled forest. 

Upon discovering the forest, Rahi knew he needed a new plan. He readied his Manu Tangata (kite), packed some moa eggs, and asked Tāwhirīmātea, the god of wind, to carry him over the forest. The wind swiftly brought him close to the Patupaiarehe, but they conjured a second sun, burning Rahi's kite. 

Before crashing, Rahi managed to glide into a giant nest. He fed the chicks his moa eggs, and when their mother returned, she recognised Rahi's kindness and helped him continue his journey. She protected him from above as he travelled through the scorching desert left by the two suns. 

Exhausted, Rahi rested under a rock filled with mauri - lifeforce, which revived him. The Patupaiarehe then summoned a giant lizard that tried to trap Rahi, but the rock's mauri shielded him. The lizard dug a trench around Rahi, which filled with water, and transformed into a Taniwha to guard it. 

That night, as the Matariki stars shone, Namu, the bird who had helped Rahi, kept him warm. Guided by the stars, Rahi’s father and whānau arrived and froze part of the water, creating a bridge for Rahi to escape. 

Rahi and his whānau climbed the volcano and blocked the smoke vents, forcing the Patupaiarehe to flee. Instead of fighting, Rahi suggested they settle their disputes through a game. Thus, they created Kī o Rahi, a game still played today to bring people together. 

How does Kī o Rahi live on today? 
As the game continues to grow in Aotearoa and overseas, there are a few people working hard to keep this treasure thriving. A group called Tū Mātau Ora (TMO) was founded on the vision of mātauranga Māori informing positive outcomes for people, communities and our environments. TMO utilise the magic of taonga tākaro - traditional Māori games and activities - as a fun safe way to engage, educate and empower everyone in Māori customs and culture.  

Lead by Pita Noanoa and Ness Mill, TMO are leading a revolution in how Aotearoa connects, learns and plays, helping create an Aotearoa where taonga tākaro, their tikanga and practices are normalised becoming a modality for decolonisation and re-indigenisation, and Kī o Rahi is a large part of that. 

Tū Mātau Ora leaders Ness Mill (left) and Pita Noanoa (right) acknowledged for their mahi at the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards. Source: Supplied.

Championing many Kaupapa, they’ve helped shape and activate the first permanent Kī o Rahi turf in the world at Pukehuia Park, which is a huge step for the utilisation of taonga tākaro. 

TMO have even partnered with Wellington City Council (WCC) to help implement 4.3 of the WCC’s current 2024 strategic plan to “normalise and incorporate traditional Māori games and initiatives” - a goal TMO have continuously supported and unremittingly advocated for. 

Over the last 18 months, The TMO team have shared taonga tākaro with over 15,000 people, and they don’t plan on stopping. 

“The popularity has been steadily increasing over the last 15 years and is about to reach a new level, as a generation who have grown up with it, are filtering into adulthood. And as national coordination starts to take place,” Mill said. 

For Mill and Noanoa, the growth of Kī o Rahi represents the normalization of Māori play and practices, offering greater opportunities for Māori to engage and succeed by embracing their identity, just as their tipuna did. It allows them to celebrate and value Māori culture, while providing everyone the chance to connect, share, and grow through the fun and learning of traditional Māori play. 

Taonga tākaro offer a pathway to holistic wellbeing by promoting physical health through increased activity, enhancing mental wellness through cognitive stimulation and social interaction, fostering social bonds through shared experiences, and uplifting wairua through the joy of play, all while deepening our connection to te ao Māori. 

“The growth of Kī o Rahi is extremely important as it helps reclaim a vital aspect of Māori culture, especially important at a time when an overtly racist Government attempts to remove years of hard fought progress.” 

They believe Māori traditional games provide a platform for tangata whenua and tangata Tiriti to unite and help decolonise and re-indigenise Aotearoa.  

Looking ahead, the future of Kī o Rahi isn't just a hope—it's part of a strategic plan that envisions the sport as a cornerstone of Aotearoa's national identity and a cultural bridge to the world. The vision includes Kī o Rahi becoming the most popular sport in the nation, with councils adopting strategies like Wellington's to normalize Māori games. This plan aims to see Kī o Rahi integrated into schools, with marked papa tākaro and equipment available for students to play during breaks, and teachers being trained to share taonga tākaro. 

National competitions, university leagues, and professional televised matches are all part of the vision, with the game extending to include both mixed and single-gender teams across various age groups. The dream extends beyond Aotearoa, with plans to introduce Kī o Rahi to international audiences, starting with whānau in Australia and expanding to other indigenous cultures and eventually the world. 

The sport’s inclusivity is also a priority, with partnerships in place to include Kī o Rahi in the Halberg Games and the Paralympics. The future also holds exciting developments, such as a documentary on their journey, and international exchanges to share and learn from other indigenous cultures. 

In essence, Kī o Rahi is set to not only thrive within Aotearoa but also to become a global ambassador for Māori culture, showcasing the rich heritage of taonga tākaro on the world stage.