“It’s left to individual choice,’’ a NZOC spokesperson said. That’s in line with Ministry of Culture and Heritage protocols, which state: “There are no guidelines for performing God Defend New Zealand in both English and Māori, and you can choose which order to sing the versions in. When singing the first verse in Māori the practice is to repeat the verse in English.” Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images The New Zealand OlyWhites get set to sing the national anthem before their Olympic Games match against South Korea. Many members of the New Zealand women’s and men’s football squads - the first Kiwi athletes to compete at the Tokyo Games – appeared to be singing in te reo.