Pareārau are the first to take the Te Matatini 2015 stage from the Kahungunu region today. It is also their national debut. The group was established in 2006 at the request of their Te Ara Reo Māori ākonga (students) from Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Heretaunga and Ahuriri to learn the Ngāti Kahungunu and Rongomaiwahine waiata and haka. They may be new to the competitive kapa haka scene, but they bring with them a powerful message. Aaron Parekura Matehe told Te Kāea, “Our children are still getting hurt, some even being killed like Delcelia Witika, Jame Whakaruru who were murdered. This haka was written for them, for the Kahui twins, Nia Glassie and the many children who have been victims of abuse.” Tutor Jackie Irihuia Ham says, “This is such a huge honour for us. It's a first for Pareārau, starting out as an entertainment group. Now the main focus of the group is to do justice to all our Ngāti Kahungunu and Rongomaiwahine songs, chants and haka.” The group's tutors this year are Jackie Irihuia Ham, Matewai Timu-Fosio and Aaron Parekura Matehe, with Matewai and Aaron standing as today's leaders.

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.