This year, the Otago/ Southland ‘Ngā Manu Kōrero Speech Competition’ was hosted by Taieri College in their brand new auditorium.

We were welcomed in by a rousing combination of Taieri and King's and Queen's students performing the haka pōwhiri. The whaikōrero (formal speech) was then performed by Matua Komene Cassidy and a waiata (song) followed, then we the manuhiri (visitors) were represented by Matua Neitana Tane from James Hargest College in Invercargill. The hongi and harirū (hand shakes) completed and a quick snack, we settled in for the Senior Impromptu Speeches. 

After a few nerves settled, both Samuel Chadwick and Hoani Wipaki stood and represented their whānau and school with passion, humour and courage. All of the students who stood, performed their speeches admirably with some in-depth and well thought out arguments. The topics were both interesting and challenging, ranging from ‘Challenge the status quo to seek a different reality’, ‘One million speakers of Māori by 2040’, ‘My culture is more than a performance’ and many more subjects with our very own Hoani Wipaki picking up second place for his prepared English speech ‘We belong to Papatūānuku’. 

While we will not be travelling to Nationals this year, we would like to congratulate Jen Marsh from our sister school (Otago Girls' High School) for placing second equal in the Senior Māori Section, a fantastic achievement. Congratulations to all of the competitors and winners.

Full list of overall winners.

Pei Te Hurinui Jones - Senior Maori: Kiringaua Cassidy 1, Tutaawa Pewhairangi, Jennifer Marsh equal 2.

Korimako - Senior English: Taumana Pene 1, Grace Turipa 2, Jordyn Katipa-Martin 3.

Rawhiti Ihaka - Junior Maori: Maia Rakete-Gray 1, Amiria Davis 2, Andre Taani 3.

Sir Turi Carroll - Junior English: Mya Kairau 1, Jordishae Raimona 2, Ethan Rangitutia 3.