Te Kore – a cloak of protection for sport and recreation
01 May 2025
Te Kore – a cloak of protection for sport and recreation
01 May 2025
Te Kore – a cloak of protection for sport and recreation
In April, just in time to mark a major milestone with the launch of the Integrity Code, the Sport Integrity Commission Te Kahu Raunui (the Commission) received a symbolic taonga: its first kākahu, Te Kore.
Te Kore is a powerful representation of new beginnings, collective effort and enduring protection, and was woven by Kaiwhatu Amanda Milner.
"“Te Kore has been created with the same care, intention, and collective effort that underpins the Commission’s formation.”"
Amanda Milner
The Commission was formed to create a layer of protection for sport and recreation. The name Te Kahu Raunui is a taonga grounded in mātauranga Māori and emerged in a collaborative wānanga setting with Māori advisory group Te Ope Tāmiro.
Te Kahu draws reference to the Māori kākahu, or cloak, and Raunui refers to the broad and far-reaching responsibilities that we aim to fulfil, and our commitment to fulfilling these with openness and honesty.
Te Kore is a Tarapoūahi kākahu. The muka (flax) was harvested from Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua, with the sturdy pukupuku weave forming a dense protective layer—a pre-colonial technique used in kākahu once worn by warriors. Flowing aramoana patterns speak to pathways of connection, movement, and resilience. Weka feathers, gifted from the Chatham Islands, adorn the cloak in a kaokao formation symbolising protection.
In te ao Māori, 'Te Kore' represents the realm of creation, a space of limitless potential where all things begin. This speaks to the Commission's foundational journey and the potential to uphold integrity that exists across the sport and recreation landscape.
"“For the Commission, weaving of the kākahu represents the coming together of all the threads that uphold integrity in sport and recreation - including participants, organisations, and communities. It symbolises safety and protection for everyone within the sector.”"
Rebecca Rolls, CE Sport Integrity Commission Te Kahu Raunui
Te Kore brings to life the Commission’s commitment to protecting participants and embodies the kaupapa Māori framework upon which the organisation is built.
A kaupapa Māori framework
The weaving of a kākahu as a metaphor for the Commission’s work was brought into being by Te Ope Tāmiro, the Commission’s Māori advisory board, even before the Commission itself had been established. A tongikura (proverb) from Pōtatau Te Wherowhero, the first Māori King, was the inspiration.
"Kotahi te kōhao o te ngira e kuhuna ai te miro mā, te miro pango, te miro whero. There is but one eye of the needle, through which white, black and red threads must pass."
Pōtatau Te Wherowhero, the first Māori King
As Bobbi Clark Heu, a founding member of Te Ope Tāmieo, explains, the tongikura "is about collaboration, working together, having a unified approach to achieving shared outcomes. And that’s what the kākahu framework is ultimately trying to achieve".
The metaphor of the kākahu guides every part of the Commission—from room names to brand colours—and serves as a daily reminder of its purpose.
Te Kore stands as a powerful emblem of the Commission’s kaupapa: to safeguard the integrity of sport and recreation, protect all who participate, and uphold the values that bring us together.
Te Kore on display at the Integrity Code launch event in April
In April, just in time to mark a major milestone with the launch of the Integrity Code, the Sport Integrity Commission Te Kahu Raunui (the Commission) received a symbolic taonga: its first kākahu, Te Kore.
Te Kore is a powerful representation of new beginnings, collective effort and enduring protection, and was woven by Kaiwhatu Amanda Milner.
"“Te Kore has been created with the same care, intention, and collective effort that underpins the Commission’s formation.”"
Amanda Milner
The Commission was formed to create a layer of protection for sport and recreation. The name Te Kahu Raunui is a taonga grounded in mātauranga Māori and emerged in a collaborative wānanga setting with Māori advisory group Te Ope Tāmiro.
Te Kahu draws reference to the Māori kākahu, or cloak, and Raunui refers to the broad and far-reaching responsibilities that we aim to fulfil, and our commitment to fulfilling these with openness and honesty.
Te Kore is a Tarapoūahi kākahu. The muka (flax) was harvested from Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua, with the sturdy pukupuku weave forming a dense protective layer—a pre-colonial technique used in kākahu once worn by warriors. Flowing aramoana patterns speak to pathways of connection, movement, and resilience. Weka feathers, gifted from the Chatham Islands, adorn the cloak in a kaokao formation symbolising protection.
In te ao Māori, 'Te Kore' represents the realm of creation, a space of limitless potential where all things begin. This speaks to the Commission's foundational journey and the potential to uphold integrity that exists across the sport and recreation landscape.
"“For the Commission, weaving of the kākahu represents the coming together of all the threads that uphold integrity in sport and recreation - including participants, organisations, and communities. It symbolises safety and protection for everyone within the sector.”"
Rebecca Rolls, CE Sport Integrity Commission Te Kahu Raunui
Te Kore brings to life the Commission’s commitment to protecting participants and embodies the kaupapa Māori framework upon which the organisation is built.
A kaupapa Māori framework
The weaving of a kākahu as a metaphor for the Commission’s work was brought into being by Te Ope Tāmiro, the Commission’s Māori advisory board, even before the Commission itself had been established. A tongikura (proverb) from Pōtatau Te Wherowhero, the first Māori King, was the inspiration.
"Kotahi te kōhao o te ngira e kuhuna ai te miro mā, te miro pango, te miro whero. There is but one eye of the needle, through which white, black and red threads must pass."
Pōtatau Te Wherowhero, the first Māori King
As Bobbi Clark Heu, a founding member of Te Ope Tāmieo, explains, the tongikura "is about collaboration, working together, having a unified approach to achieving shared outcomes. And that’s what the kākahu framework is ultimately trying to achieve".
The metaphor of the kākahu guides every part of the Commission—from room names to brand colours—and serves as a daily reminder of its purpose.
Te Kore stands as a powerful emblem of the Commission’s kaupapa: to safeguard the integrity of sport and recreation, protect all who participate, and uphold the values that bring us together.
Te Kore on display at the Integrity Code launch event in April