Rangikawehea Sinclair Paul

Born in Whakatane, Rangikawehea Paul (A.K.A. Boysie) began paddling at the age of eighteen and served as a kaihoe for Mataatua Toroa and Hinemoana waka tētēkura, which are a focus for waka in Whakatane.

In 2009, Boysie was selected as a kaihoe for the first crew of Te Hono ki Aotearoa and travelled to Leiden, The Netherlands for the official handover of this waka taua to the Dutch in 2010 and subsequent European events, including The Queens Diamond Jubilee on the River Thames in 2012.

Boysie said that it’s humbling to be on the waka representing New Zealand because “there are not too many people from our rohe privileged to be in such a kaupapa.”