Ngāti Raukawa kapa haka Mōtai Tangata Rau will sit out the August Tainui regionals.
Mōtai Tangata Rau kaitātaki (leader) Paraone Gloyne told Māori Television of its decision yesterday.
Gloyne said he believes Te Matatini 2021 needs to be postponed as well.
“My gut says that we should, and these are my personal feelings. My gut says that we should postpone the event,” Gloyne says.
“I tautoko my rohe who sent that as a submission to Te Matatini, that we postpone.”
Should Covid-19 safety measures remain in effect next year, Te Matatini competitors from Australia would have to self-isolate for 14 days.
“I’m thinking of our relations across Te Moana Tāpokopoko-a-Tāwhaki (Tasman Sea) in Australia,” Gloyne says.
“Look at the rigmarole you have to go through if you come through our borders.”
Gloyne says organisers need to take this into account. He adds that regional kapa haka competition organisers should consider charging for access to live streams.