Rugby League: Te Atiawa win in extra time to claim Māori tournament

Ngahina Capper

Photos by: WAHA Creative

The annual Bennett Enterprises Taranaki Whānui Māori Rugby League Tournament was held for the ninth time over the weekend in Inglewood with big crowds turning out to celebrate the prestigious event.

Fourteen teams in total participated over the two-day tournament, eight in the men's grade, four in the women's grade while a new addition of two Masters teams took part in the festivities also.

There was flair and excitement throughout the two days of football with players travelling near and far to represent their whānau and iwi.

In what was a beautifully fine day, day one saw some tight affairs in pool play which defined who would progress through to the various semi-finals. Day two was a different affair with heavy rains throughout the day making things difficult for the teams.

This did not hinder the spectacle however as Puke Ariki reigned supreme in the Championship Division (bottom four) defeating Ngā Ruahine 24-0 in a tough and uncompromising encounter.

In the Wāhine Division Te Atiawa won their first championship defeating reigning champions Ngā Rauru 16-4 in an entertaining match in the wet.

In the Premiership Division (top four) Te Atiawa held off a spirited Taranaki Tūturu winning 6-4 in their semi-final while Ngāti Ruanui just scraped home in a hotly contested encounter defeating Ngāti Mutunga 14-10 in the other semi-final which set up a repeat of last year’s grand final showdown.

The final was no different as both forward packs tested each other out physically in the torrential rain however it was Te Atiawa that converted a penalty kick in extra time to beat Ngāti Ruanui 6-4 and win their third consecutive premiership at the tournament.

The tournament will now head into its 10th anniversary year next year with Taranaki Tūturu hosting the tournament at Rāhotu Domain on the 11th & 12th October 2025.