The haka

[0neye]

No introduction to New Zealand would be complete without a short discussion of "the haka".

The first experience that most non-New Zealanders have with a haka is from watching the New Zealand All Blacks rugby squad intimidate their opponents prior to a game. Shouting, chanting, leaping, foot stomping, fist shaking, posturing, leg slapping, eye staring and tongue gestures make up a form of dance which is used as a challenge to visitors or adversaries and as a sign of the performers' fitness.

"Haka" means "dance". Although most commonly performed by men, we saw an impressive haka performed impromptu by a group of women from the audience to salute the Maori competitor that won the World Sheep Shearing Championship 2002 in Masterton. The intensity and energy of such a demonstation seen close-up is something you will remember a long time.

The twirling ball dance performed by women is the "haka poi". It is seen at most demonstrations of Maori song and dance. When performed sitting in a row instead of standing, it is the "waka poi" or canoe poi dance that could be performed while sitting or kneeling in a canoe.

There are many traditional hakas, at least one for every Maori tribe. The most familiar, the one made famous by the All Blacks rugby team, is the "Te Rauparaha Haka" composed by the great Tainui chief Te Rauparaha in 1821. It is a haka taparahi - a pre-fight challenge. ;-)

 

[kier]

When I took the Nelson College Team to Nationals at Hopu Hopu (near Hamilton, NZ) every school had its own Haka - with many schools having several, depending on the circumstance; for example Huntly College as "host" school welcomed schools at the start with a Haka, used a different one at the start of a match and I pretty sure had a third one which they performed at the end of a game.

This year we played a home game at lunchtime and as the game kicked off all the boarding students (200+) performed a haka behind the opposition on the line of the in-goal area. Fantastic stuff - made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

imho - Kamate is not as good (in terms of entertainmant, aggression, inspiration....etc) as countless other hakas that are used throughout NZ.

 

[shiznit]

yeah i remember playing at Hopu Hopu afew years ago and we played Rakaumangamanga (which is a small school responsible for Wairangi Kopu) and we both did our Haka's. it was good fun.

 

[ozbash]

made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

thats how i know if the AB,s/kiwis are fired up and will play a good game.
you can tell by the haka.

 

[Tupac Shakur]

I love watching the haka it's the best thing!

 

[TheFirstRabbitoh]

The Sivi Tau (Samoan equivalent) beats the crap out of the haka.

Saw the NZ and Samoan Aussie Rules sides in Melbourne a couple of years ago - the kiwis did the haka, the Samoans the Sivi Tau and the Samoans were about 300 times more intimidating.

 

[kier]

Best Haka I ever saw was NZ Maori (lead by Tawera Nikau) against Scotland in the 2000WC - fantastic, it began under the posts walking up the pitch in an arrowhead formation, eventually reaching the halfway where the players fanned out across the pitch. Amazing!

 

[shiznit]

The Sivi Tau (Samoan equivalent) beats the crap out of the haka.

Saw the NZ and Samoan Aussie Rules sides in Melbourne a couple of years ago - the kiwis did the haka, the Samoans the Sivi Tau and the Samoans were about 300 times more intimidating.

ive faced the sivi or sibi (im unsure which it is) heaps of times. its nowhere near as intimidating. there not as grounded and they dont have the intimidating faces that the haka does.

 

[dimitri]

hahaha

aussie rules players


must have been real scary

 

[Big Bunny]

the players were less than impressed about having to do one.

Not true at all. I did a petition last year, in an attempt to get the ARL to reconsider it. As part of that effort I did an interview on ABC Radio, Brisbane. As the featured guest John Sattler took part and recited the war cry, which came from the people of Stradbroke Island and spoke about it glowingly.

I placed the petition on this and other forums but it was either mocked or ignored by the majority of people. The belief that you are perpetuating by stating that the players didn't enjoy the war cry is the major contribution to the petition losing momentum, with people preferring to only question it.

Dolts like nospam49 spoke up, speaking on behalf of the players without knowing a damn thing, like with any other aspect he speaks about.

Sattler and the vast majority of Kangaroos who performed it were in favour of it, enjoyed it and would like to see it return. The only player that I am aware of who thought it wasn't worth continuing is Johnny Raper.

 

[Polynesian Warrior]

The NZ u/16s that toured Australia last month used a different haka and it scared the sh*t out of my mate :lol:

Depending on the ethnic make up of the team, at times, the junior
teams may actually perform a Samoan or Tongan version.

Now.....some of those are fiercesome

Skinner

Every national age group teams in NZ perform the Maori haka and even if there are no Maori player it is a tradition that they do it in Maori .
Just about every school 1st XV rugby team in NZ has a haka and it goes back over a hundred years .
Most of the Private white schools also have a haka and every student have to learn it .
We played Kings College(private school) 1st XV and 99.9% of them are white students but when they did the haka it shook the ground and it scare most of our Polynesian boys a bit .

The best haka I saw was every time Wayne Shelford led the All Blacks and the first game between Manu Samoa and All Blacks in 1993 .
Two teams doing the haka face to face and all finish at the same time with Vaaiga Tuigamala with tears in his eyes .

 

[Frailty]

Did the ANZAC team do the haka? I thought i heard they did. That would be pretty funny seeing blokes like scott hill and brett kimmorley doing the haka.

 

[ledzep]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[dimitri]

The Aussie Rules Haka:

We come from australia
to play our gay game
we now live in aoeterora
to play our gay game

Fly like a fairy
hit like a butterfly
Im a little tea-pot
short and stout

 

[Ray]

The Kiwis League haka just doesn't have the same passion or aggressiveness as the All Blacks' one.

Ruben Wiki does it with heart, but many of the others just stand there and tap their hands on their thighs.

 

[Copa]

Does anybody refuse to do the haka because individual cultural/religious/beliefs etc prevent them from doing so??

 

[dimitri]

why would religious beliefs stop you from doing the haka???

 

[Copa]

why would religious beliefs stop you from doing the haka???

Maybe they don't like the message.

There are 1000s of different variations of religions with 1000s of different beliefs/rules etc.. some would be incompatible with various hakas.

 

[Copa]

I can see some fundamentalist christians being upset with

"This is the hairy man
Who fetched the Sun
And caused it to
shine again"

It may clash with their view of the world.

 

[Polynesian Warrior]

The Aussie Rules Haka:

We come from australia
to play our gay game
we now live in aoeterora
to play our gay game

Fly like a fairy
hit like a butterfly
Im a little tea-pot
short and stout

Funny coming from you Dreamitri , so now you permision to put down and make fun of any Kiwi teams ?
If I was a Maori I would be turning over my grave with the way you spell Aotearoa and associate a forny Haka with the gay in it .
The Haka is very serious and sacred to us Polynesian's and Maori's (just ask the Spice Girls) and it has Mana .
You are not one of us so therefore you do not in anyway make fun of someone else culture .

GROW UP YOU F**KING IDIOT [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X