3 Mar 2014

Wellington take rugby tournament

8:09 pm on 3 March 2014

The Wellington Maori Rugby team - Te Upoko o Te Ika - proved to be too powerful for Manawatu by winning the Hikaia Amohia Shield during the weekend.

The Wellington Maori Rugby team, Te Upoko o Te Ika.

The Wellington Maori Rugby team, Te Upoko o Te Ika. Photo: Te Tini a Maui

Te Tini a Maui is one of the three annual pre-season Maori Rugby tournaments for the central region and covers East Coast, Poverty Bay, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Wellington, Horowhenua, Manawatu, Whanganui and Taranaki.

Te Upoko o Te Ika head coach Andrew Wharakuru says after two years of being unsuccessful, they had some unfinished business with Manawatu.

He says the last couple of years have been unlucky for his team but they came away with a 71-7 win at Arena Manawatu in Palmerston North on Sunday after beating Whanganui Maori 51-7 on Saturday.

Wharakuru says Manawatu have been their biggest rivals for the past two years and their win came as a big surprise, especially with such a big score.

Te Upoko o Te Ika will represent Central Maori against Southern and Northern Maori over the next two weeks, with the aim of winning the national Maori shield.

The East Coast and Poverty Bay Maori rugby teams were unable to attend the central regional tournament this year.