‘Kei ngā rangatira o te āpōpō, nau mai ki te papa tū waewae. He ahurei ā tau whakanui ai i te waioranga o te iwi Māori o Tāmaki Makaurau.
To the leaders of tomorrow, welcome to your place. To our celebration of wellbeing for Māori.’
Iwi of Origin is the annual Tāmaki Makaurau inter iwi festival that celebrates whakapapa, whānau and wellbeing through physical activity in Tāmaki Makaurau, as Māori, with Māori, for Māori.
Whether you’re living in Tāmaki or outside the rohe, there is a place for all whānau Māori and those who whakapapa Māori at Iwi of Origin: rōpū whānau; rōpū hapū/marae/iwi; rōpū hapori; and rōpū matawhānui.
At Iwi of Origin, whānau, marae and hapū come together to represent their iwi through ancestral games, traditional games, contemporary sports and activities. The event works closely with tangata whaikaha services to ensure the kaupapa is accessible through adaptive sports, mobility support and inclusive design.
Stay tuned for the date and details of Iwi of Origin 2026!
We acknowledge the support and cultural leadership of Ngāti Tamaoho Trust, who guide the tikanga and ceremonial aspects of Iwi of Origin, including the pōwhiri and other culturally significant practices. Their presence ensures the kaupapa is grounded in respect, connection, and mātauranga Māori.
We also recognise and honour the contributions of our event partners, whose leadership and participation continue to strengthen the cultural and community foundations of Iwi of Origin.
Iwi of Origin 2025 was made possible through the support of:
A range of activities were offered at Iwi of Origin 2025, from mainstream sports like rugby, netball, basketball, touch, football and league, to uniquely Māori formats such as ngā taonga takaro, ancestral games, Urutomo and ki o rahi.
We were fortunate to have the following programme partners supporting Iwi of Origin 2025 and we thank them for their involvement:
Counties Manukau Māori Rugby League, Culture & Sports Association
Rīki | League
Kī o Rahi Tāmaki
Kī o Rahi
Māori Football Aotearoa
Whanapoikiri| Football
Pūmanawa Āwhina
Pā Whutupaoro | Touch
Mātātoa | Time 2 Train
Urutomo
Tāmaki Makaurau Poi Tarawhiti
Poitarawhiti | Netball
Tāmaki Makaurau Poitūkohu
Poitūkohu | Basketball
Te Hiku o Te Ika Māori Rugby
Whutupōro | Rugby
Te Papa Takaro o Te Arawa
Ancestral Games
Toi Tangata
Ngā Taonga Tākaro
Together, we stand in kotahitanga to uplift Māori wellbeing, identity, and connection through sport, ngā taonga takaro and kaupapa Māori.
2025 was the 18th year of Iwi of Origin and the third phase of our 5-year-plan, Te Whakaoranga - The Revitalisation. This saw us focused on nurturing the whanaunga cultivated over the years to create pathways for future generations to engage and carry the kaupapa forward. We also looked beyond our whānau in Tāmaki Makaura, to the rest of the motu to improve health outcomes for whānau across Aotearoa.
The Iwi of Origin logo is titled “Tāmaki Herenga Waka” and refers to Māori being united under the umbrella of Tāmaki.
Tāmaki is represented by Rangitoto Maunga (in green); also seen as the “tumu” or “pou” in the whakatauki “tumu herenga waka” – a post where all waka are tied to.
The wave at the bottom represents the rope used to tie all the waka to Tāmaki.
The Poutama colours represent “tino Rangatiratanga.” The Poutama also represents a “dias” which, in sporting terms, represents Māori achieving in sport and recreation and the hard work and determination required to get to the top as seen in Tawhakis / Tanes journey to get the baskets of knowledge.
Keep up to date with the latest on Iwi of Origin, including pics from the 2025 event, via our social media channels below.
You can also email iwioforigin@aktive.org.nz