item—a bad arrangement), one group was given 70 points for an action song by one judge, and 30 points by the other. This is ridiculous. One of those judges simply could not have known his business. In another competition a group was marked down heavily because a single action in their version of ‘Ruaumoko’ was contrary to what the judge thought it should be. Yet the group has learned the haka from an acknowledged expert.

Not an Exercise in Intuition Judging is not an exercise in intuition. Judges must be objective. Anyone who argues that there is no place for specifics in competition judging has just not thought out what the whole business is about. On the concert stage the idea is to entertain the audience. Spontaneity, mistakes, the happy idiot in the back row who does not know the actions but who is good at face-pulling—all these often help to make a show more enjoyable. A good laugh and comic relief are not the least bit out of place. But competitions are to test the knowledge and competence of a group. Therefore technique becomes important, and points

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must be ruthlessly deducted for bad actions, poor footwork, mistakes, etc. The best group may not be that which brings a lump to the throat and raises a laugh. The judge must be fair to those who have practised long and hard, and not let careless groups cash in merely because they make more noise and get the audience laughing with them and cheering for them. The necessity for marking against specifics goes further. If teams are to get the full benefit from a competition, it is not sufficient merely to be told that they were not placed first. They have a right to be told where they went wrong and where their technique requires improvement. Then they can go away and work on their faults and perhaps comes back next time and win the competition. I should like to give a suggested mark sheet for haka taparahi, just to illustrate how many things there are which go to make up a good performance and which must be scrutinised if the judging is to be objective and truly to avaluate the group. Stance: Are feet well apart? Is stance one of relaxed readiness? Check for sagging waists and hunching shoulders. (10 points) Expression: Deduct for performers grinning. Expression must be fierce and vigilant. Check use of pukana, pikari, whatero, whakapi. (10 points) Eyes and Head: Eyes must watch enemy (audience) but may follow hands for significant actions. Deduct for performers who look around or at the ground. (10 points) Actions: Crisp? Strong? Decisive? Check hands do not flap, have controlled vibration. (10 points) Co-ordination: Everyone working as a team? Watch back rows! (10 points) Start and Stop: Must be crisp and together. All performers must ‘hit’ words together when they start. Note position of hands on hips. (10 points) Rhythm: Is it appropriate to the haka? Make sure tempo of words and actions fit. (10 points) Words: Every member of group must say them (watch lips). Check for clarity. Do they have sufficient volume, considering the number in the group? (10 points) Leadership: Has leader good control and presence? Are his words clear and correct? Deduct