The Battle of Maui and Tane-Mahuta

Maui lived peacefully surrounded by trees, flowers and leaves. It was all calm until a young warrior stomped through the trees and told Maui that Tane-mahuta wanted to eliminate Maui and steal all of his precious green stone for his weapons.

Maui was a brave and strong warrior, who defended his village with pride. He had survived many battle’s. No one dared to face Maui except Tane-mahuta. Tane mahuta wanted to kill Maui for the greenstone. Maui announced ‘We will prepare for battle’. So everyone started preparing for battle.  

But then Maui thought about all his warriors dying. The next day he went to Tane-mahuta and said “Come over and sit down on this totara tree’. Tane-mahuta thought it was a dangerous trap. Tane Mahuta said “Is this a trap?” “No my friend” replied Maui. Maui continued “Tane-mahuta we have lost many of our family in battle, we must find another way. If you beat me in a game you can have my greenstone, do you agree?”  “What is this game? ” Tane Mahuta said. “Tomorrow gather fifteen of your warrior’s and meet me here” said Maui

The next day when Tane-mahuta arrived to the tremendous totara tree he saw that in front of  Maui there was a moa egg. “If you get this egg past my warrior’s and put it down between the totara trees then you can take my greenstone but if my warrior’s do this we win”. 

After a fierce game the two tribes felt exhausted. Tane Mahuta’s tribe had lost and the precious greenstone stayed with Maui.  That is how the game of rugby came to Aotearoa.