Cultural tradition embraces fun and activity

South Canterbury schools have embraced a traditional ball game that brings together cultural values, fast-paced play and simple sporting fun.

South Canterbury Community and Public Health (SCPH) recently delivered the third annual Ki O Rahi event, engaging over 250 young people across the region.

In 2014, SCPH renewed its commitment to the event, partnering with Sport Canterbury’s South Canterbury Regional Office and developing a strategy to engage more local schools.

Aoraki Secondary School Sport Director Shaun Campbell explains “the Ki O Rahi event gives non-participants an opportunity to have a go, promoting a healthy lifestyle with a focus on fun.”

 In 2014, Campbell worked closely with school sport departments and focused on in-school promotion. Alongside SCPH WAVE and physical activity health promoter Greg Newton, he took Ki O Rahi beyond South Canterbury boundaries, reaching out to North Otago secondary schools.

He added “together we delivered in-class physical education sessions showcasing Ki O Rahi and providing professional development opportunities to the region’s teachers.”

Consulting lead sport staff on event timing was another strategy that helped to ensure the event was a perfect fit for the schools involved.

In 2015 there are plans to make the Ki O Rahi event a full Aoraki Championship competition, featuring this as part of the junior sports week from 23 November. Promotion of the game will again include school visits, with some schools already taking up the professional development opportunities available. Both Newton and Campbell hope that one day a team from the South Canterbury region may even attend the secondary school national championships held each year in March.

Ki-o-rahi is a ball sport played in New Zealand with a small round ball called a 'ki'. It is a fast-paced sport incorporating skills similar to Australian Rules, rugby union, netball and touch. Two teams of seven players play on a circular field divided into zones, and score points by touching the 'pou' (boundary markers), and hitting a central 'tupu' or target. The game is played with varying rules (number of people, size of field, tag ripping rules etc.) depending on the geographic area it is played in. A process called Tatu, before the game, determines which rules the two teams will use.

Ki-o-rahi was introduced in Europe by the Maori battalion in the Second World War and has been taken up by 35,000 American elementary schools. 

12th March 2015 - MORE NEW ZEALAND CHILDREN PARTICIPATE IN SCHOOL SPORT