2023 Waka Ama National Sprint Championships Return To Whakaata Māori

The biggest event in the Aotearoa waka ama calendar is back!

Whakaata Māori is the official broadcaster of the 2023 Waka Ama National Sprint Championships, with all races broadcast live and exclusive each day from 9.00 AM Monday 16 January on Whakaata Māori and MĀORI+.

More than three thousand competitors from over 60 clubs from Kaitaia to Invercargill will gather at Karāpiro.

Teams compete over 250m, 500m, 1000m and 1500m distances with races for single paddlers, teams of six and teams of twelve paddlers.

The first three days of the event are races for tamariki and rangatahi from 5-16 years old.

There will be finals every day, with the main finals taking place on Saturday 21 January, when the corporate challenge race will also be held.

The 2023 Waka Ama National Sprint Championships will be the focus of TOA HŌPA (‘Couch Warrior’) a new whānau sports show that takes you behind the scenes of great sporting events, sporting legends and, most importantly, the communities behind them!

TOA HŌPA premieres at 2.00PM, Friday 20 January on Whakaata Māori.

The National Waka Ama Sprint Championships have been held annually – except 2022 – since 1990. At the first event there were 43 teams competing from 17 clubs.

In 2020, at the 31st annual Waka Ama Sprint Championships, a record number of paddlers – more than 3,800 teams from 61 clubs – raced for national sprint titles.

More than 10,000 spectators are expected across the week and will add to the excitement of the event, with dozens of vendors and pakihi Māori serving everything from kai to sportswear, service providers and more.

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