12:26pm

A softball club with kaupapa Maori at its core is weaving te ao Maori into
the game - one haka at a time - and hopes other teams follow suit.


Te Aroha Softball club's premier women's team recently competed at Softball
New Zealand's Open Women's Club Nationals, where they placed fourth.


This year the team from Te Awa Kairangi (Hutt Valley) did something never
seen before at the tournament - taking the diamond not just with gloves and bats, but with haka.


While haka is common for national teams representing Aotearoa, it is rarely performed at club level. But Te Aroha Softball Club, based in the heart of Waiwhetu, is looking to change that.


Their haka, Te Aroha, composed by Wiremu Moeahu (Te Ati Awa, Ngati Awa) and
led by pitcher Rongomai Luke-Royal (Te Ati Awa, Ngati Porou, Ngati Maniapoto, Ngaruahine) reflected their whakapapa, their home, and their community.


"This haka acknowledges the landmarks that surround our hinaki," Moeahu said.


"Whakapapa is the lifeforce of our club, so it is important that we hold
close our maunga, our awa, and our marae. When representing Te Aroha, you represent Waiwhetu. You are Pukeatua maunga, you are Waiwhetu awa, you are Arohanui ki te tangata."


According to Te Aroha Softball, the club was first established in the early 1940s but went into recession around 1978. It was soon revived after a simple patai was asked by Kaumatua and Luke-Royal's great-grandfather, Koro Richie Luke:


"Why aren't our kids playing sport? We have everything here; our kids should
be playing sport!"


From those humble beginnings, Te Aroha restarted with just one junior girls' team. Decades later, the club remains strong, producing many high-performance representative players at regional, national, and international levels.

Ritchie Lukes daughter and Club Stalwart Kararaina Luke said, "Te Aroha is an old club. Its vision is to provide support to the many young people and families who came into Waiwhetu to live, play sports, kapa haka and build the relationships with mana whenua - Te Ati Awa."


More than a challenge
For Luke-Royal, performing the haka before each game was never just about issuing a challenge - it was about normalising te ao Maori in the softball world.


"Bringing haka to this tournament is a response to where we are as Maori in 2025, celebrating who we are, where we are from and for me, honouring the history and mana of our club.


"It was about being Maori, not just in that moment, but all day, every day."


She said it was a statement of identity, of carrying their tikanga and their reo with them onto the field and beyond.


"It was about being role models for our tamariki, showing them what it means
to stand proud in who we are."


"To be the first to bring haka to Women's Club Nationals is something we will always hold with pride, and we hope it inspires others to do the same."

From the moment they first performed it, Luke-Royal said the haka was met
with open arms.


"At first, we weren't sure how others - our opposition, spectators, and those watching online - would react to us performing the haka before every game.


"But it quickly became clear that the response was full of respect and admiration."


She said opposition teams stood in acknowledgement, spectators clapped, and some even responded - two players from Christchurch-based club, Papanui Softball, performed their own haka in return, a moment that left a lasting impression.


"Win or lose, we left everything out there, carrying our iwi, our hapu, and
our tupuna with us every time we stepped onto that diamond."


Before the tournament, Luke-Royals mum, Susan Luke, who is also the team manager and club secretary notified Softball New Zealand of their intention
to perform the haka.


Te Aroha said while they did not receive an official response from Softball
New Zealand to their email, they received support from chief umpire matua Wiremu Tamaki, who ensured time would be allocated before each game for the haka.

Luke-Royal said this was an important step in normalising te ao Maori within softball.


"His response showed an understanding of the significance of haka, not just
as a pre-game ritual, but as a statement of identity, pride, and unity."


"While the door has been opened, there is still room for further korero and recognition at an official level, ensuring that kaupapa like this continues
to be supported in the future."


Maori ki te ao
The team's commitment to incorporating te ao Maori into the game extends
beyond Aotearoa. In 2024, Te Aroha travelled to Indonesia for the Makassar
Cup, taking their haka and tikanga onto the international stage.


"Performing our haka in another country reminded us of its true purpose - it
is not just a challenge, but a declaration of who we are."

Luke-Royal said the response was humbling. Te Aroha was invited to open and close the tournament with haka and waiata.


"This experience strengthened our belief that te ao Maori belongs in every space, from our home fields Waiwhetu Aotearoa to the international stage.


"We hope this is just the beginning of many more moments where haka, te reo, and tikanga Maori stand proudly in the world of softball."


Softball has long had strong Maori representation, but Luke-Royal believes
this is just the beginning of a wider shift.


"We have opened the door to the other club to consider embracing Haka or another relevant form of reciprocating respect before the game. We would
expect that [Softball New Zealand] will continue to grow the opportunities of uniqueness especially when NZ teams perform Haka."


She said by Te Aroha normalising haka and other elements of te ao Maori in softball, they create pathways for other teams to embrace their cultural identity.


"It could start with something as simple as integrating more reo Maori into
the team environment, using kupu Maori for positions, or incorporating
karakia before eating. Over time, this could lead to more teams performing
haka with real understanding and connection."

As for Te Aroha, Luke-Royal said they are already looking to the future, both on and off the diamond.


"Maori softball has faced challenges over the years, but we know the strength of our people,"


Last year, alongside Te Runanganui o Te Ati Awa, they hosted a Maori Women's Softball Tournament.


Luke-Royal said they hope to grow this event, providing a space for Maori players to showcase their talent while staying connected to who they are.


"Our vision is to compete as an indigenous team at an international level, carrying our reo, tikanga, and mana with us wherever we go."


By Layla Bailey-McDowell of rnz.co.nz

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