The evolution of the Haka
New Zealand won their second match at World Cup 2011, easily disposing of a hapless Japan 83-7 in Hamilton on Friday.
Rather than dissect the impressive All Blacks and hopelessly outclass Japanese, we have opted to focus this ‘review’ on the Kiwis’ much vaunted pre-match routine … the Haka!
The Haka, a traditional Maori war dance, is most famously known for the manner in which the All Blacks perform it before matches.
Various actions are employed in the course of a performance, including facial contortions such as showing the whites of the eyes and the poking out of the tongue, and a wide variety of vigorous body actions such as slapping the hands against the body and stamping of the feet. As well as chanted words, a variety of cries and grunts are used.
However, it has such a long and rich history, that we felt it warrants a bit of closer scrutiny – especially how it has evolved in rugby over the years.
But first a bit of a history lesson.
There are thousands of Haka (yes, it is both singular and plural) that are performed by various tribes and cultural groups throughout New Zealand.
The best known Haka is called ‘Ka Mate’ – the one performed immediately prior to international matches since the early 1900s.
Since 2005 the All Blacks have occasionally performed the controversial ‘Kapa o Pango’, with its throat-slitting gesture towards the end.
It has been recorded that a group of men and women perform a Haka for Lord Ranfurly at Ruatoki, Bay of Plenty, in 1904. It is Lord Ranfurly who gave New Zealand rugby its most prized possession, the Ranfurly Shield.
The various types of Haka include whakatu waewae, tutu ngarahu and peruperu. The peruperu is characterised by leaps during which the legs are pressed under the body. In former times, the peruperu was performed before a battle in order to invoke the god of war and to discourage and frighten the enemy. It involved fierce facial expressions and grimaces, poking out of the tongue, eye bulging, grunts and cries, and the waving of weapons.
If the Haka was not performed in total unison, this was regarded as a bad omen for the battle.
With this in mind we will focus on the rugby version here.
Most teams have watched the Haka passively, but some have not. In 1989 Irish captain Willie Anderson led his team forward to a virtual face to face confrontation. Newport that year retired behind their goalline, so the All Blacks advanced to the 22 to issue their challenge. English hooker Richard Cockerill eyeballed Norm Hewitt as he led the Haka at Manchester in late 1997.
There have too been various Australian reactions. The 1908/9 Wallabies, captained by Herbert Moran, performed an Aboriginal war cry. Moran, a noted Australian surgeon, feeling the Aborigines had not been well treated, spoke strongly against the war cry, and hid in the back row when he was called on to perform it. It is doubtful if “Wallaby” teams persisted with it but the “New South Welshers” in New Zealand in 1921 performed a war dance before some of their games at least.
The Springboks came up with a Zulu war dance, which they persisted with until 1928. All Black vice captain that year Mark Nicholls remembers the Springboks’ war dance as “not much of a success”.
It has come a long way since those early days.
Blast from the past!
Prior to the 2005 test against Wales the Welsh Union requested that the All Blacks perform the Haka after the singing of the New Zealand national anthem, the Haka to be followed by the Welsh anthem. This, the Welsh anthem as a response to the Haka, was the sequence that took place before the 1905 Test. The All Blacks agreed as a one-off arrangement but resisted when the Welsh made the same request a year later. The matter was discussed over a six week period but agreement was not reached.
The upshot was that the All Blacks performed their pre-match Haka in the changing room, to the disappointment of many in the crowd. After the match captain Richie McCaw said “the team acted to protect the tradition of Haka that is integral to New Zealand culture and the All Blacks’ heritage.” The Welsh Union talked of seeking a ruling from the IRB but initial reaction from the Board was that the customary arrangement i e the Haka being performed just before kick-off, would continue.
New Zealand’s Pacific Island neighbours also precede their games with a war chant.
Samoa used to perform the traditional “Ma’ulu’ulu Moa” on tour. However, before the 1991 World Cup the ‘Manu’ war chant, considered more “aggro” and effective in psyching players up, was composed. It certainly seems to have worked.
The Fijians chant is the ‘Cibi’ and that of Tonga the ‘Kailao’.
Here are a few clips of how the All Black Haka has evolved over the years!
Where it started:
Back in 1925:
Then in In 1973:
The modern era:
The Ka Mate:
The Kapa o Pango:
