Te Matatini 2027 Draw Reveals New Format | Auckland News

Get ready for Te Matatini o Ngā Taniwha 2027 — the nation’s biggest haka showdown — kicking off February 23-27 in Waikato, with 57 kapa haka groups from across Aotearoa and even Australia officially qualified. This year’s live draw this Saturday will shake things up: top 20 performers from 2025 are seeded to ensure balanced pools, while the rest are randomly drawn. Plus, performances are now spread across competition days instead of crammed into single days — a major tweak designed to level the playing field and give every group a fair shot at glory. Hosted by Tainui in Hopuhopu, this reimagined festival celebrates heritage and fierce competition like never before. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/b4fe43b71d864fcc