Traditional Maori Games

Yesterday (April 22nd), Tamara, Rie, Ainslee and myself were lucky enough to attend a workshop run by Sport Hawkes Bay, where we learned about the history, tradition and rules of a variety of traditional Maori games. One of these games is Ki-o-Rahi. As there are a number of children interested in sports and physical activity at KIDSPACE at the moment, I think it is the perfect time to introduce the language and concepts surrounding this game which has such a rich history in our country.

Ki-o-Rahi is a traditional pre-European Māori ball game. It is a fast running contact sport, played on a circular field, involving imaginative handling and swift inter passing of a "ki" (ball). Before the arrival of Europeans, Ki-o-Rahi was played by Māori throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand. Often different tribes would play different adaptations of the game.

Traditional Ki-o-Rahi ki (ball)

During World War 2, Maori soldiers played this game to pass time, introducing it to many soldiers from different countries. At the moment Ki-o-Rahi is a lot bigger over-seas than it is in New Zealand. In America there are 31,000 schools involved in the sport, and a lot of European countries like France and Spain have national teams. We had a quick go at a game yesterday, and we had so much fun! There are many ways the game can be adapted to work as a fantastic learning experience for the children.

Jess