Super Saturday at the ASB Polyfest

16 March 2013

Super Saturday at the ASB Polyfest

Young Warrior - My Albert Grammar

Today is “Super Saturday” at the ASB Polyfest with the leading Maori and Pacific Island groups taking to the five festival stages.

In describing ‘Super Saturday’ at the ASB Polyfest Event Director, Theresa Howard said – “it is the day where the 'cream' of the Maori, Samoan, Tongan, Cook Island and Niue groups perform on stage. The public will see some amazing Pacific Island performances and kapa haka at its best with the Division One groups battling it out for the title, and places in the national Kapa Haka competition.”

The Hapai Te Hauora Maori Stage will feature the powerhouses of school kapa haka from 8:30am – 4:30pm today. Twelve schools will battle it out for the coveted Maori Stage crown with Western Springs College Nga Puna o Waiorea looking to defend their title. They hit the Hapai Te Hauora Maori Stage at 9:40am this morning. Their biggest threats are expected to come from Te Wharekura o Hoani Waititi (on stage at 9:05am) who won in 2011, Auckland Girls’ Grammar Kahurangi (on stage at 12:55pm) who took the title in 2008 & 09, and host school Te Kapunga James Cook High School who are the final performance on stage at 3:50pm.

One of the ASB Polyfest’s long-standing rivalries continues on the Waka Pacific Cook Islands Stage today between Mangere College and Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate. Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate are on stage at 1:25pm and looking to defend the Cook Islands crown. Their main rivals Mangere College won the title from 2009 – 11 and are on stage at 11:35am.

Another traditional rivalry comes on The University of Auckland Samoan Stage. Otahuhu College are on stage at 10:10am and looking for a three-peat of titles in the co-ed schools section. Their biggest rival is Avondale College who won nine consecutive titles from 2003 – 2011. They are on stage at 8:30am.

The NZMA Tongan Stage features the vibrant dances of the Tongan community such as the Ma’ulu’ulu and Kailao from 8:30am – 2pm, while the MIT Niue Stage will be reverberating with ten Niue groups on stage from 9:30am – 3pm.

The ASB Village will also be full of action today, with a host of contemporary performers such as the Valient Boys, the Fresh Movement Dance Crew and an Illegal Music Showcase on stage from 12noon – 2pm.

Today marks the final day of the 2013 ASB Polyfest, with 90,000 spectators anticipated to have attended the festival by the time it closes at 5 pm this evening. This year’s festival has been blessed with fantastic weather, huge crowds and plenty of colour & culture. Entry today is $5, with pre-school children free.

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