Te Aitanga ā Hauiti and the Ūawa community hosted the 2009 Ngāti Porou Inter-Marae Sports at the Tolaga Bay Area School earlier this year. More than 4,000 “Natis”, representing 20 marae, participated in more than 20 sports and events including athletics, swimming, tug of war, chess, basketball, touch and more. “It was a brilliant day, and a wonderful opportunity for whānau to participate and compete for their marae in the spirit of whānaungatanga,” says coordinator Te Kāhui Jones. Te Puni Kōkiri supported the sports day to encourage Māori participation in sports and cultural activities.