Ngāti Maru Rugby League Team Gathers for Annual Tournament in Taranaki
From across the country and across the ditch, whānau gathered home for the annual Taranaki Whānui Māori Rugby League Tournament 2026, hosted by Te Atiawa in Tikorangi, Waitara.
The event brought together passionate players representing their iwi and whānau with immense pride, bridging distances to reconnect with their roots.
For many, the tournament is an annual pilgrimage back to the heartland. Dallas Blackburn-Kingi, who lives across the ditch in Australia, emphasized the deep family ties and the inspiration the event provides for younger generations.
“Come play for my iwi and my family and play with my older brothers, i was gonna play with my dad but couldn;t make it, it’s alright.”
He further noted the importance of creating pathways for youth.
“Na it’s good, it’s good to like show a path for the younger fallas and yea for our family just to show that you can do it from you know small towns and yea just get the opportunity here and just keep going.”
Team members traveling from urban centers also find profound meaning in returning home. Dion Keogh and co-captain Dion Hunt, both based in Hamilton, cherish the opportunity to reconnect with their ancestral lands. Reflecting on this connection, Dion Keogh shared.
“I love playing for Maru, it’s special to me to come back to Taranaki and keep my connections entrenched with Maru and I just love coming back to Tarata, coming back to the marae.”
Expressing gratitude for the collective effort behind the scenes, Keogh added.
“Shout out to the committ, shout out to all those who strung together the team, you know without them we wouldn’t have the players that have and the boys that we do have all sharp.”
For co-captain Dion Hunt, the tournament represents a yearly tradition of giving back to the community and whānau who support them.
“I pretty much come back every year, pretty much I represent the whānau and the marae itself and just all the hard work that everyone puts behind the senses at the marae and our iwi so come back and i dont know put myself on the field and give as much as i can for all them.”
Hunt also highlighted a particularly memorable personal moment during the event.
“It feels amazing. I think this is his first game actually watching. Usually he’s at home sick or he runs on the field so yea this is pretty much a special day because this is his first time watching me take the field and hopefully one day he’ll follow through.”
Local representation anchors the team's spirit, with co-captain Norman Maxwell residing right in Inglewood, Taranaki.
Maxwell spoke about what representing Ngāti Maru means on a broader scale.
“It means everything to me, it makes me a bit emotional you know cause, how i feel about Ngāti Maru you know well we’re not really known for our sports but in saying that we do have a lot of whānau who are really talented in sports and not just the Kapa Haka, so yea it feels a lot, a lot for me.”
Looking toward the future and managing high interest from players eager to pull on the jersey, Maxwell noted.
“I’m here every year for Ngāti Maru. This year was a little bit different. We had a lot of interest this year so unfortunately we had a few of our whānau that missed out but in saying that it’s something that we’re building for the future.”
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