The judges of Te Matatini National Kapa Haka competition have announced the nine teams who'll perform in the finals tomorrow.
Te Whanau-ā-Apanui are one of the three teams in the final from the second pool. Photo: Te Matatini
The top three teams from the first pool, Te Ihu, are Tauira mai Tawhiti from the Bay of Plenty, Te Mātārae I Õrehu from Rotorua and Waikato-Tainui kapa haka Te Iti Kahu rangi.
The three teams from the second pool, Te Haumi, are Auckland group Ngā Tumanako, Te Whānau a Apanui of the East Cape and Whāngārā mai Tawhiti of the East Coast.
The final pool, Te Kei, top three teams are Tūhourangi-Ngāti Wāhiao from Rotorua, and two teams who have won the competition five times, Waihirere and Te Waka Huia.
All teams will perform the same bracket they did in the pools.
The chair of Te Matatini, Selwyn Parata, announced the teams and drew the team's names to decide the order of performance.
First up in the morning is Ngā Tumanako, then Te Mātārae I Õrehu, Waihirere, Te Whānau a Apanui, Te Waka Huia, Tauira mai Tawhiti, Whangara mai Tawhiti, Te Iti Kahurangi and the last group will be the Rotorua based Tūhourangi-Ngāti Wāhiao.
Order of performance.
Te Matatini 2017 - Te Mātangirua - Top 9 finalists
1. 8.40am - Ngā Tūmanako
2. 9.17am - Te Mātārae i Ōrehu
3. 9.54.am - Waihīrere
4. 10.44am - Te Whānau-a-Apanui
5. 11.21am - Te Waka Huia
6. 11.58am - Tauira Mai Tawhiti
7. 1.13pm - Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti
8. 1.50pm - Te Iti Kahurangi
9. 2.27pm - Tūhourangi - Ngāti Wāhiao