Ki o Rahi

Ki o Rahi originates from a story that shows that it isn’t just some ordinary game like tag. The sport is also a tribute to māori culture. Ki o Rahi is often played during Matariki which is a star cluster that appears during the Māori new year.

Ki o Rahi is a really fun game that some classes play. You get split into 3 teams one is on the side watching, the other is Ki oma they wear a Velcro belt and 2 certain colour rips (EG: blue) and they are meant to hit the pou (poles) and there are 7 of them in a rough circle. How many pou they hit is the amount of points they might get. But stopping them is the Taniwha with 2 red rips they have to rip whoever in blue has the ball, 1 rip means they have to pass it, 2 means they have to hand it over to Taniwha. But if they don’t get ripped they have to score a try in the inner circle here is the layout.

In the 2nd circle is 4 of the Taniwha stopping Ki oma from getting a try and if they get the ball they have to throw it at the barrel in the center. If Ki oma hits 1 pou they get one point, if they hit 2 pou consecutively they get 2 points ETC. They can not hit the same pou twice.

That is most of the rules. Ki o Rahi is a really fun game. It’s easy to learn and is nice and friendly. We go out to play it a lot more than other games at the moment and nobody is complaining it is epic.

By Nico Harvey