On Saturday, December 4th Te Pae Māhuri (the Dunedin Māori Youth Council) hosted their first event; Manu Comp 2021. This was one of the original ideas Te Pae Māhuri pitched at the Raranga Tahi symposium back in 2019 but due to COVID-19, their plans were delayed.
Te Pae Māhuri were approached by the Southern District Health Board to run a Rakatahi led vaccination event to help lift the number of unvaccinated rakatahi Māori in Ōtepoti. They worked in partnership with the Southern DHB, the Dunedin City Council and Te Kāika to make this event possible. Through this they learned a huge amount about event management and gained a far clearer understanding of the necessary avenues one must follow when holding large scale events of this type. Our partners loved the idea of the manu comp and they worked together to find the best way to seamlessly incorporate vaccinations.
Navigating COVID-19 restrictions and Dunedin's unpredictable weather forecast was difficult and meant there was a lot of confusion around postponements but we pushed through and decided to set a date and go on with the competition rain or shine. However, this meant TPM had to run the event under the new traffic light system, meaning we were no longer able to run vaccinations on site.
Despite this, the event itself was a success with whānau from all around Otepōti coming down to the wharf to get involved. There was free kai, entertainment from local groups including He Waka Kōtuia and Loose and Colourful and an interactive information booth about COVID-19.
There were 3 separate weight divisions for the manu comp as well as the open division. The winner of each weight division recieved a $500 cash prize and the winner of the Open division recieved $1,000.
40-60kg
2nd- Nikau Ford
1st- Jamin Falwasser
60-90kg
3rd- Torino Jackson
2nd- Andre Mata'afa
1st- Shikaia Hoete
90+
3rd- Rahi Dean
2nd- Ravu Akauola
1st- Faitonu Matamua
Open
3rd- Shikaia Hoete
2nd- Faitonu Matamua
1st- Curtis Tahere
We appreciate everybody who jumped on to help support this kaupapa; Gravity Events, SPS Security, Loose and Colourful, Leah and Soana, Tenaya, Hami and Te Atamaire, Rewa Pene Photography, Chase Productions, University of Otago, Vault 21, Moana Pool, Harbourside Grill, Ray White, Biggies Pizza, Taputapu LTD, Tahu FM, Kotahi Mano Kaika, Red Bull, Kōkiri Centre, Te Runanga o Ōtākou, HORI, Pōtiki Poi and so many more!
The best way to keep up with all the exciting kaupapa coming up with TPM is to follow them on Instagram and Facebook @TePaeMāhuri
