In former times, many Maori hockey tournaments were held, but most of these tended to be either family or club orientated. In the twentieth century, particularly in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, more and more Maori hockey tournaments were held throughout the country, mainly on the East Coast of the North Island, throughout the Bay of Plenty and in the Waikato-Maniapoto district. As the number of Maori tournaments began to dwindle, so too did Maori involvement in the game. This was the case for almost 30 years until the former national women’s hockey representative and coach and ‘mother’ of Maori hockey Margaret Hiha (Ngati Rangitihi, Te Arawa) decided to push the revitalization of Maori involvement in hockey by establishing a National Maori Hockey Tournament. The result was the inaugural National Maori Hockey Tournament in Napier in 1992, hosted by the people of the Takitimu waka (canoe) region. From that time, tournaments have been held annually and have been hosted by each of the Maori hockey districts, except in the South Island. The districts are based on Maori Land Court boundaries:
Since its inception in 1991 Te Kaunihera Haupoi O Aotearoa the (NZ Maori Hockey Council) has maintained a constant Development Programme, built on a strong Iwi infrastructure and the support of a great Whanau volunteer network system.
NZ Maori Hockey Inc continues to make steady progress, the developments made over the years as highlighted are testimony to these achievements.