Hātea Kapa Haka is the first group to represent the Tai Tokerau region at this year's Te Matatini 2015 festival. Today they paid homage to a Ngāti Hine matriarch who resides in Christchurch, Tihi Puanaki, affectionately known as Whaea Tihi, in their waiata ā-ringa. This year, group tutors are Pauline, Joby, Otene and Marcia Hopa, with David Tapene. The membership is drawn from the whānau of their marae and extends to others who reside in Whangarei, as well as those who travel home from further afield. Hātea are well-known for their melodic voices with many anticipating their waiata tira following their successes in the choral section of the national competitions in 2007 and 2011. Hātea also won "Te Taonga ā Te Rōpū Waiata Māori o Aotearoa" for the best choral performance at Te Matatini 2013 held in Rotorua.

Te Matatini 2015. Every two years, Te Matatini organises the Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival, where top kapa haka teams from New Zealand and Australia compete for the honour of being crowned the best of the best. The festival started in 1972 and is now the world’s largest celebration of Māori traditional performing arts, attracting over 30,000 performers, supporters and visitors. The competition is held over four days with 45 teams split into three pools, Te Ihu, Te Haumi and Te Kei. The three teams with the highest combined marks from each pool will compete in the competition finals. The nine finalists are then judged afresh to determine the new Toa Whakaihuwaka - overall agreggate winner. Kapa haka teams are required to perform six disciplines within their performance piece - whakaeke (a choreographed entry), mōteatea (traditional chant), poi (light ball swung on the end of a rope), waiata-ā-ringa (action song), haka and whakawātea (exit). They must perfect every discipline in a polished 30 minute performance.