THE HAKA RITUAL has become one of the most celebrated characteristics of the All Blacks. It’s believed to be a generic term for all Maori dance and outside of the realm of sport, the haka is performed at a range of events including weddings, family occasions and other significant celebrations.
The different variations allow the performers to demonstrate their national pride by acting out different gestures while chanting the lyrics in their native tongue.
When it comes to the All Blacks haka, you’ll see one player from the team stepping forward to announce the beginning of the dance with a loud battle cry. They then move through the group and conduct the movements. Scrum-half Aaron Smith has often executed this role while All Blacks legend Tana Umaga directed the haka in earlier years.
After Ireland’s historic win over the All Blacks in Chicago, former New Zealand prop Craig Dowd accused his national side of acting out a ‘disrespectful’ haka. The version he was referring to was the Kapa O Pango, which he categorised as a more “aggressive” form of haka, and therefore not the right choice, given the recent death of Anthony Foley.
The second encounter between Ireland and New Zealand takes place tomorrow and the haka selection for that fixture remains a mystery. In the meantime, here’s a run down of some of the existing hakas out there.
Ka Mate
This haka dance stretches back to the early 1800s and refers to a time of war and tribal conflict. It’s the original haka pre-match ritual that the rest of the world has been exposed to and has been associated with New Zealand rugby since as early as 1888.
The original All Blacks began using it in 1905 and it was normally restricted to games outside the country until the 1980s when Wayne “Buck” Shelford and Hika Reid requested that the dance be performed before home games as well.
This form of haka is often seen at funeral ceremonies, which is why Craig Dowd argues that it would have been the more fitting selection for the first Test against Ireland.
The lyrics and gestures of the chant are:
Ringa pakia
(Slap the hands against the thighs)
Uma tiraha
(Puff out the chest)
Turi whatia
(Bend the knees)
Hope whai ake
(Let the hip follow)
Waewae takahia kia kino
(Stamp the feet as hard as you can)
Ka mate! Ka mate!
(It is death!, It is death!)
Ka ora! Ka ora!
(It is life!, It is life!)
Ka mate! Ka mate!
(It is death! It is death!)
Ka ora! Ka ora!
(It is life! It is life!)
Tenei Te Tangata Puhuru huru
(This is the hairy man)
Nana nei tiki mai
(Who fetched the sun)
Whakawhiti te ra
(And caused to shine again)
A upa ne ka up ane
(One upward step, another upward step)
Upane, Kaupane
(An upward step)
Whiti te ra
(The sun shines!)
Kapa O Pango – ‘Team In Black’
This dance was first performed by the All Blacks in 2005 before a Tri Nations Test match against South Africa and was led by Tana Umaga. It was created by Derek Lardelii, an expert in Maori culture, and took one year to construct.
Lardelli says that it’s a ceremonial piece rather than a war dance, designed to build a person’s confidence, which explains why a rugby team would use it to prepare themselves for a game.
It was invented to complement the Ka Mate haka as a means of celebrating their home land and its culture. Explaining what the Kapa O Pango means to the All Blacks, former player Aaron Mauger said:
“It’s full of pride. For modern All Blacks, it’s about the time in the jersey and the silver fern and the blackness in the jersey. It’s certainly not there to replace Ka Mate, it’s there as a brother alongside it so we’re still pretty proud of Ka Mate and we use them as passionately as each other.”
The translated lyrics are:
Let me go back to my first gasp of breath
Let my life force return to the earth
It is New Zealand that thunders now
And it is my time!
It is my moment!
The passion ignites!
This defines us as the All Blacks
And it is my time!
It is my moment!
The anticipation explodes!
Feel the power
Our dominance rises
Our supremacy emerges
To be placed on high
Silver fern!
All Blacks!
Silver fern!
All Blacks!
aue hi!
Poropeihana - The haka of Wesley College
This dance was performed by former and current students of Wesley College, as a mark of respect during the funeral of Jonah Lomu last year. Situated in Auckland, Wesley College boasts a proud rugby tradition, producing talents such as Stephen Donald and Charles Piutau as well as Lomu.
The former students who attended the college along with Lomu completed their version first, followed by a rendition of Ka Mate by Lomu’s former All Blacks teammates with some of the current Wesley College students performing their haka after. Lomu’s family then released 40 doves into the sky as a symbol of peace.
Other styles of haka include the Peruperu, which is a traditional war dance incorporating the use of weapons while the Tutu Ngarahu prefaces a battle and features side-to-side jumping. The Manawa wera haka is commonly associated with funerals where the dancers are free to dance expressively with no particular routine involved.
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So many penalties against Leinster makes me look at the ref again. When you see the ref awarding 50/50 decisions in one direction suggests the dice is loaded. France rugby and English rugby are in cohoots with the sponcers against Irish rugby.
@Brendan O’Callaghan: just look at last year’s final. Carley screaming abuse at Ross Byrne for asking if Jenkins can get medical attention.
@Brendan O’Callaghan: ah yea blame the ref for Leinster’s poor performance so far
@Brendan O’Callaghan: that time when the Bristol player played the ball on the ground after VDF broke and nearly scored. Outrageous from ref – he just invented a knock on to avoid giving the Bristol player a YC for very cynical play. Leinster discipline has been poor though
@robert kelly: Who is blaming the ref for Leinster playing bad? Weird chap.
@Mick Joe: Co the jets there Mick I must say it seemed to me like you and Brendan were blaming ref and making excuses… I’m just a neutral watching a game of rugby
@Brendan O’Callaghan: this is Top14 reffing, it’s a different beast you can get 3 yellows at once if your really lucky
@Michael Corkery: did josh not lose the ball forward just prior to that?
I thought Prendergast couldn’t carry or threaten the line?
Ref doesn’t do refing.
Can’t believe the whinging by the goys on here tonight….. unbelievable Jeff!
Ref doesn’t do scrums.
@Jofus Soap: yea, some very dodgy calls. Typically French
Give me Leinster with Lancaster any day before this Nienbar tripe
Leinster by 15
Leinster by 14
@Shanie: one more for my big bet bro
@Shanie: 14 point win would be nice, BP even better, but I am not sure it will be that easy. Really hard to tell which teams will show up for CC in the first round. Hopefully Bristol will be thinking more about the Prem.
@Paul Ennis: TBH just messing it will be a tough game
@Gary Galligan: Hopefully you get your 25 cent win
@Shanie: 40 euro
@Gary Galligan: Interesting
Was this referee born in Bristol?
No arms tackle by Sam ?
Soccer slide tackle by Sam.
@Jofus Soap: He was penalised for it.
@Mick Joe:
indeed
@Jofus Soap: Thanks for your commentary. Keep up the good work
@Jofus Soap: Are you one of these supporters who have Sam Error Alert set on your phone so you don’t have to bother enjoying watching the rugby??
@Paul Ennis:
Sam’s a sound young lad.
So TMO comes in for that but doesn’t bother with blatant hands in the ruck on Bristol’s own line? Absolute cheats
@teuO6nLS: it was a blatant trip from a try scoring opportunity
@robert kelly: Agreed. TMO absolutely had to come in for that. But he also should have checked hands in the ruck 5m from the line. Also a try scoring opportunity and resulted in a scrum to Bristol followed by a penalty given away by JGP. Ref cannot see everything but I think that is worthy of a TMO intervention. Bristol try also looked like it had a Leinster hand under it.
@robert kelly: the complete lack of consistency is my point. Blatant hands in a ruck on your own line when the referee has called a knock on and you don’t get involved? But a questionable “trip” from a player still completing a tackle has you suddenly getting involved?
Either call both or neither. Only calling one stinks of bias
@teuO6nLS: Difference is that one is classified as foul play and the other is cynical play. You cannot trip a player – it will be a yellow card anywhere on the pitch. A different TMO on a different day may have intervened.
@teuO6nLS: yea fair enough. Deegan knew exactly what he was doing tho you can clearly see it on the replay. I think the majority of the penalties have been justified and calling the ref a disgrage is a bit extreme. I’m no rugby expert but the conditions are difficult which promotes a lot of unforced errors. Scrappy but also entertaining game so far with a little bit of niggle adding to it
@teuO6nLS: got away with one there Mccarthy could probably on a yellow as that trip was bordering blatant as well
@robert kelly: a “trip” where he’s got an arm wrapped around the opposition player? It’s a tackle
Lads relax. If Leinster come away with losing bonus point, it will be a good day out. They are hopeless.
@Ray Ridge: Ray ….your trolling is extremely poor. I’d expect higher class trolling from a kid in primary school. You’re an example of where practice does not make perfect.
@Ray Ridge: Your hopeless
@Ray Ridge: you were saying ?
@Shanie: They were hopeless. That first half performance won’t get them within an asses roar of the top French sides.
@Ray Ridge: Rugby is an 80 mins game fyi
@Ray Ridge: that one hasn’t worn too well….
@Ray Ridge:
Chokers should win no trophy on offer
@Tony McGrath: You’re a pathet1c boy.
@Tony McGrath: You’re sound like an expert on choking……probably have really hairy hands as a result
@Tony McGrath: your a complete tosser
Disgrace of a referee.
Leinster by 5
Class
Leinster by 13
Refereree adjudicatior should keep that man away from a rugby pitch for quite a while.
Farcical end to that game
That some mullet on the number 10
Slimani has taken Cordero’s crown of being the most useless NIQ ever to play in Ireland
@5sZl1dX2: Did you see Corderos pathetic attempt at a tackle in the 7th minute for Zebre opening try. The guy should be sent straight back to wherever he came from.
Leinster are hopeless says your man and yet there hammering the english side second in there league dumb dumb
Jesus these Leinster pukes in the comment really don’t like when they get reffed do they? Pathetic
@5sZl1dX2: Are you even looking at the game kiddo?
@5sZl1dX2: Making up their excuses already ……. Donnacha OCallaghan was right when he Leinster are under huge pressure this year to win in Europe. They have spent as much money as the Children’s Hospital Lmao!
@5sZl1dX2: stick to mini rugby please.
@Mick Joe: yes I am. Leinster are choking but what’s new?
@5sZl1dX2: At least they’re in the mixer. When was Munster last in the business end of a European competition? Remember the great Peter O’Mahony has won 1 trophy with Munster. He has more trophies with his Leinster buddies.
@Mick Joe: and Fineen Wycherley has more club trophies than Joe McCarthy, does that mean he’s a better player? Flute
@Lulu: Come again?
@5sZl1dX2: You’ve completely missed the point there Harold. Not the first thing to go completely over your head.
@Shanie: Google it Sunshine!
@Lulu: Money well spent by the looks of things. Pity Munsters big money spend in the past was such an abject failure. Makes it all the sweeter seeing him play so well for Leinster.
And poor Jack is going to lose his #10 Ireland jersey as well…
@James: on his displays against Fiji, Australia and tonight he’s a raw attacking talent but can’t tackle to save his life. Will improve but needs constant game time with Leinster.
@mark sheehan: Can’t tackle…a bit like Jack
@James: hahahahahhahahahaha
@5sZl1dX2: tosser,stade were complete shite,otherwise you red muppetts eould have lost…really agsinst 13 players thats the best u could muster
@James: spoken like a true totally biased dumdf# ck.
@5sZl1dX2: the Munster lads coming out swinging hahaha love it!
@David Clarke: bahahahahhhahHhhH
@mark sheehan: That’s not what your ma moaned to me last night…..she’s some goer
@James: that’s about your level, rooting around in graveyards.
Easy money
@Gary Galligan: least your good at preditions unlike some on here
It’s freezing here! Windy too!
@Oran Burns: North poll
Lucky boy all right.
Instinctive though
Who’s that geezer !!