Marlborough’s local legend, Māreikura Nepia

Marlborough’s Local Legend SEPTEMBER 2025 : Māreikura Nepia, STUDENT OF MARLBOROUGH GIRLS’ COLLEGE

Māreikura is the Te Tau Ihi regional champion of Ngā Manu Kōrero, one of the most prestigious events in the Māori education calendar. The competition nurtures the oratory skills of rangatahi, providing a powerful platform to express themselves in both Te Reo Māori and English.

Māreikura delivered an ex­ceptional performance, win­ning the English section for both prepared and impromp­tu speeches, the Te Reo sec­tion for her prepared speech, and placing second in the Te Reo impromptu. Her achieve­ments earned her the Best Female Speaker title and the Lou Stafford Award, which recognises excellence in both languages.

Winning across multiple cat­egories against strong region­al competition is a remark­able feat. She has represented Marlborough Girls’ College and Te Tau Ihi at the national finals in Whanganui, achiev­ing the highest score over english and te reo māori sec­tions.

Her success is not hers alone—it reflects the collec­tive strength of her whānau, kura, and iwi.

He toa takitini, he toa rangatira.

Beyond the stage, Māreikura is a leader within her com­munity. She is a lead tutor for Hine te Waiora, an empow­erment wānanga for wāhine, and also teaches at Hawaiki Kura Rangatahi Wānanga, inspiring rangatahi through both teaching and example. Just last week, she was invited to represent her iwi at the first Coronation of Queen Nga wai hono i te po — an honour that reflects the deep mana she holds in her community. Māreikura’s humility, strength, and unwavering commitment embody the values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, and ran­gatiratanga. She stands as a powerful role model and source of inspiration for both rangatahi and pakeke.

Ka tū rangatira a Māreikura mō āpōpō.
You stand as a leader for to­morrow