Roberts said although Te Aho Whātonga managed to apply on time, neither the Wairarapa to Awakairangi committee nor the Te Paetaiohi Manawatū/Horowhenua committees allowed them to compete in their secondary school championship regional qualifiers. The fact the four kura were based in different districts caused a tangle of technicalities that couldn’t be resolved in time. But the Feilding festival, which the Manawatū/Horowhenua competition was part of, did offer them a performance slot. Roberts said even though they were only given a non-competitive spot at Feilding, they treated it like a competition and hoped to participate fully at the next regional final.