A Maori boys boarding school has taken a swipe at organisers of the national secondary schools kapa haka competition through their poi.

To the loudest cheers of the morning at Napier's Pettigrew Green Arena, on day four of the nationals, Catholic boarding school Hato Paora teenagers sung to adults who originally wanted to stop them from performing one of Maoridom's most iconic actions.

Using yellow poi to mark their school’s colours the boys criticised the organisers by singing: "No reira e te Komiti e, nei taku urupare ki te ture e, kei warewaretia tona whakapapa". ("To the Committee, we questioned your rules because you forgot the genealogy of the poi.")

The organisers – Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua Society Inc – had originally told the boys-only schools they had to substitute the poi for mau rakau, an item which uses patu, taiaha or mere - essentially weaponry.

An outcry from parents and boys schools meant the committee had to backtrack.

Hato Paora was one of the staunchest critics.

The standout moment of today's performance came when a small group of performers went to the double long poi – at the most difficult end of the spectrum to perform.

And they did it with the widest smiles on their faces.

A representative for the organisers Willie Te Aho declined an interview as it would be "rehashing the past rather than celebrating the present".

You can see more on this story on Te Karere at 4pm on TV1.