The All Black Haka
Relax!! This is not about rugby – it is about tradition and culture. Don’t go away now if you’re not a rugby fan.Every international team have their traditions and rites. None as impressive as the Haka of the All Blacks, New Zeeland’s national rugby team. The Haka was adopted from an ancient war dance, and some of the South Sea Islands use a similar war cry.
Every time that the New Zealand national team takes the field, this war dance, known as the Haka, is performed while their opponents must look them in they eye. A Frightening experience. It used to be performed on the halfway line, but due to over zealousness, they are being moved further back every year.
In the end they will end up doing this behind their own try line, which would be some form of justice, as they spend very little time there during the game!
But what do the words mean? For those who have not seen the Haka being performed yet and those who do not know what it means, I have included this short video clip.
The video was recorded in New Zeeland while our own Springboks, in their green and gold jerseys, toured there a few years ago; some time between the last two World Cup tournaments. We won the game, but lost the series. If I was not a South African, I probably would have been an All Black supporter! A great team to be respected and feared!
I hope you have enjoyed this clip and that you have a better understanding on what the words really mean.
Enjoy your day!
Comments (49)
Its not a class
Its a blogs.
Good morning.
The only similarity is the the 'goal' of the game is to get the oval (not round) ball behind your opponents try line.
Gridiron is also known as American Football.
I don't mind a bit of coaching.
Morning Timotie
thanks for sharing
Thanks for greetin.
No problum for typing.
Angle I blocked you 2days ago.
Welcome.
I guess you are feeling a bit SHEEPISH today....hope your pary went well!
Give me time uncle i will read ur blog now
The video is great, at least the meaning is given.
Thanks Cat.
Thanks for blocking me 3days ago.
I have still the same
respect for you.
Sorry I am also not an All Black fan ...... But I must admit their war cry is very catchy
Hi Catfoot
Their opponents must look them in they eye Ha ha ha but this part is not funny
Veryyyyyyyyy morning Catcat Goodie morning uncleLove
No, I forgot, but I will take them twice tomorrow morning!
You look cute dancing. I think 15 ladies will do the Haka much better than 15 men clad in black!
Will distract the opponents better too!
Have you seen them after losing a game? It is as if they had lost a war!
What I don't like about them is some of the excuses the dish up for losing.
When they lost the final in the World cup to us on Ellis Park they claimed that they were poisened! The newspapers were full of it at the time!
Otherwise they are a great side!
Yes sure, nobody likes to lose. But when you do, you take your hiding like a man. Congradulate the winner and leave the moans and groans for the cloakroom. Good sportsmanship is a very important part of both losing and winning.
If you make the winner look bad you make yourself look worse. After all, you lost to them and that is what will be remebered in the record books.
Boy Louw, that great Springbok of yesteryear told them: "Look at the scoreboard!"
When we lose I admit that our 'best' team was beaten by an even better team. Makes me feel better to know that we still have a good team, even though we lost.
Thank you for the input and the comliment. Rugby is a great game.