The Te Taihauāuru Māori rugby league team defeated the defending champs of the annual Ngā Hau e Whā tournament held recently in Sydney, the side did some fierce tackling to win their first title since 2011.
The reds are a familiar side to the grand final of the annual Māori event, determination however was running high with their opponents Te Taihauāuru, keen to secure a win.
Te Raki put the pressure on in the beginning, slipping through the cracks of Te Taihauāuru, however a slight mishap cost them the first try.
Te Taihauāuru capitalised on their mistake, adding the first try to the board not long after.
The confidence kept building from the black jerseys, after a display of natural flair got them across the line again, finishing off with a faultless conversion.
The dominant reds pushed back but the Wests defence continued to break their play.
The tension spread further off field between side-line supporters and players.
That didn't deter the game from going ahead, if anything it motivated them to break the leading Wests defence line.
That saw a new surge of energy from the reds opening some opportunity for them, but again the Wests defence were too quick.
While the penalty kick was a success, it was too late to close the final score 16-23 result to the Wests.