“Te Tama-ā-Ranginui”
Ranginui was the Sky Father who was separated from the Earth Mother – Papatuanuku by Tane who was to be their greatest son. Ranginui symbolises the male line and even Tane was later to be renamed great Tane of Rangi. Ranginui is the Maori symbol for the beginning and together with Papatuanuku they are the Maori genesis. Even today Papatuanuku is acknowledged on all occasions when Maori gather, she is the mother, she fees life into all living things, plant and animal, there is no beginning beyond the Earth Mother.
It is appropriate that the junior sportspersons both boy and girl should carry of Ranginui and Papatuanuku. They are the seeds from which men and women grow. Ranginui and Papatuanuku symbolise not only the beginning, but they are everlasting accordingly the symbolism is that these junior sportspersons although already great achievers may yet have greater potential.
Ko Ranginui I wehehia mai I ā Papatūānuku e tā rāua tama-toa ā Tāne. Ko Ranginui te tohu mō te taha tāne, ina hoki I tōna wā ka tapaina ā Tāne kia Tāne-nui-ā-rangi. Ko Ranginui me Papatūānuku te orokohanga mai o te whakapapa Māori. I ēnei rā tonu kei te manakotia ā Papatūānuku mō ngā mahi katoa ā te Māori, koina te whāea, koia whakatō ai te ora kia roto I ngā hua whenua me ngā kararehe, e kore te tahi mea I tua atu I ā ia.
Nō reira ko ngā tāina kai-tākaro ahakoa he tama he kōtiro rānei, ka taea e rāua ki te kawe I ngā mana o Ranginui me Papatūānuku. Ko rāua ngā kākano e tipu ai te tāne me te wahine. Ko Ranginui me Papatūānuku te tohu ēhara ko te tīmatanga ake, engari ko te pūmautanga ki te tōhua ki ēnei taina kai-tākaro ahakoa anō kua eke ki te taumata, he taumata tiketike anō kai konā.