All hail the new haka
11 Jul 2006
Kapa o Pango, the controversial deviation of the more traditional haka, has finally been accepted by the New Zealand Rugby Union.
The All Blacks, led by the Maori Rico Gear performed this war dance moments before kickoff at Christchurch, and went on to beat the Wallabies by 20 points.
“The boys felt like doing it and I thought we did it well tonight,” New Zealand captain Richie McCaw told Sunday News after the 32-12 thrashing of Australia. “They enjoyed doing it.”
McCaw fought hard for the new haka to be accepted by the All Blacks administration, who had previously ruled that the throat-slitting gesture at the end may upset the viewing public.
“We need to promote understanding of haka,” NZRU chief executive Chris Moller said in a press release that vindicated the board’s decision to okay the Maori challenge.
“The concern about Kapa o Pango’s final gesture makes that clear. While the haka’s final movement has regularly been described as a cut-throat gesture, its meaning within Maori culture and the tradition of haka is very different.”
Derek Lardelli. the author of the new haka has been working with the All Blacks in it’s development, and explained in the NZRU press release that the final word of the Kapo o Pango, Ha, translates as “breath of life.”
The words and motions represent drawing vital energy into the heart and lungs. The right arm searches for the Ha on the left side of the body, Lardelli explained, while the head turns to the right also symbolically seeking vital energy. The right hand hauls that energy into the pou-whakaora (the heart, lungs and air passages), then the eyes and tongue signal that the energy has been harnessed before it is expelled with the final Ha.
New Zealand-born Wallabies hooker Jeremy Paul is another supporter of the new haka, but admits that it is a very small part of the game.
“It’s great. . . it’s unique and something that’s good for the game,” Paul told reporters. ” But I’m more scared of (All Blacks flanker) Jerry Collins’ forearm than I am of that.”
182 Comments
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11 Jul 2006, 18:27 pm
Chief, that’s all very well, but are French women generally skinnier than English-speaking ones?
11 Jul 2006, 18:29 pm
Where is Jimmy going with that one?
11 Jul 2006, 18:30 pm
chch, #65
11 Jul 2006, 18:34 pm
I am part of the NZ initiative aimed at reducing national obesity.
11 Jul 2006, 18:38 pm
I have been sent overseas
11 Jul 2006, 18:39 pm
I am all for tradition – provided there is a benefit . Lets take a simple case where there’s no benefit – circumcision schools in rural SA – no benefit , on the contrary 22 deaths at last count in 2006 – cease practise forthwith .
The Haka – fires up the players , good spectator value , definitely rekindles great memories for past players – tradition should be treasured .
As for singing during the Haka – uncouth and loutish .
It is unfortunate what the pro era has introduced in the name of business . To all those spectators who boo the penalty / conversion kicker I say **** off and die .
Similarly , you clowns who whistle and chant during the Haka , this is the height of disrespect and therefore all of you who engage accordingly , deserve no respect and can **** off too .
11 Jul 2006, 18:42 pm
I am part of the SA initiative. You can find our website here: http://www.eatlessyoufatbastard.co.za
11 Jul 2006, 18:43 pm
Im know all my fathers – I ain’t a fat *******
11 Jul 2006, 19:20 pm
Op oom hanroe se plaas……
11 Jul 2006, 19:34 pm
kita tayo namaya
11 Jul 2006, 19:39 pm
kia rye nou…..
11 Jul 2006, 19:49 pm
Shaka
“As for singing during the Haka – uncouth and loutish . ”
the only uncouth and loutish moment on this thread was yours in which you reverted to your family dinner table gutter level language and insults.
come back when you have learnt to walk without the aid of your knuckles.
11 Jul 2006, 19:50 pm
what does that mean?
11 Jul 2006, 19:52 pm
“kia rye nou” means what?
11 Jul 2006, 21:28 pm
‘lets eat now’
11 Jul 2006, 22:14 pm
“Chief, that’s all very well, but are French women generally skinnier than English-speaking ones?”
Err, yes they are actually.
Like everywhere the country folk dress less well and are plumper than the city folk, but on average the French are both more chic and skinnier. Of course there are exceptions, but if I see a really grossly fat person here then much better than odds-on it is an English speaker (there are a lot round Geneva). The French just don’t really do very fat.
The real sight was Noumea (New Caledonia). Lots of quite wealthy people, so skinny, and a very hot climate, so skimpy clothes.
11 Jul 2006, 22:36 pm
Have the defenders of the original Haka performed by the AB’s ever considered whether their choice of Haka was appropriate in the first place. Here are the words, and a translation.
Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora!
Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora!
Tenei te tangata puhuru huru
Nana nei i tiki mai
Whakawhiti te ra
A upa … ne! ka upa … ne!
A upane kaupane whiti te ra!
Hi
I die! I die! I live! I live!
I die! I die! I live! I live!
This is the hairy man
Who fetched the Sun
And caused it to shine again
One upward step! Another upward step!
An upward step, another.. the Sun shines !!!
History says the Haka’s author was Te Rauparaha, an important Maori chief in the 1820’s, who was on the run for his life from a pursuing war party. He came across a village and pleaded with the local chief to protect him from his enemies. The local chief agreed, and so Te Rauparaha crawled into a food storage pit to hide. The words of the chant were supposedly muttered under Te Rauparaha’s breath as he listened to the discussion between the local chief and the leader of the war party.
The hairy man in the verse is the local chief, who slowly convinced the war party that Te Rauparaha had headed off in the direction of another village. After the war party left, Te Rauparaha showed his gratitude and honour for the people who had protected him by performing the Haka now called Ka mate
So how on Earth this little ditty went from being a thank you performed after the threat had passed to a challenge before a battle commenced, is lost on me.
It is so inappropriate, that the only answer can be that it was originally performed to entertain the spectators, who liked it so much that promoters asked it to be repeated at later fixtures and from there it slowly evolved into what we have today.
Clips of the Haka being done by AB teams pre 1980 certainly suggest there was no great feeling put into the performances.
12 Jul 2006, 02:02 am
About that Jerry Collins incontinence incident…
It has been asked who of you were observant enough to spot little George Gregan hanging upside-down from Jerry Collins’ shorts?
12 Jul 2006, 03:21 am
tackler, it was not an incontinence issue:
Derek Lardelli, the author and developer of
“the new pre-match squat” has explained Jerry collins was bowing on one knee in submission to mother earth, paying homage and watering the turf with his life-force
making amends for the damage he was about to do to the ground and expressing appreciation to the turf for softening itself for his crash-tackles.
If George Gregan was there he was respectfully silent in observing!
12 Jul 2006, 08:51 am
ricane (169)
That’s VERY good!!!
As a white 40-something-year-old AB fan I’d like throw in a few thoughts…
I love the haka – even the new one – although I believe that regardless of what it WAS, mostly NOW it’s a last minute adrenaline surge for the AB’s. As such I can understand any opposition nation not wanting it as part of the pre-match ritual. There’s no recourse for them to reply.
Aussie tries – with Waltzing Matilda – but it’s a pretty lame attempt to un-pump things.
I think MOST fans from MOST opposition countries would be disappointed if it wasn’t performed though.
The AB’s were supercharged after Saturday night’s haka – more than normal – and I thought the Aussies were probably intentially slow getting their tracksuits off afterwards. I’d call that wise.
The haka was SO good on Saturday night I think there were actually SIXTEEN guys wetting themselves!!!
I think all countries should respect their opposition’s national anthems – that’s fair – but how other teams respond to the haka doesn’t worry me. To say O’Driscoll copped what he did for disrespecting it is just a joke.
I personally think the throat slitting is over the top. It’s too much. It might ALSO be that energy-drawing thing, but PRIMARILY it means “No mercy” and “We’re taking no prisoners.” I’m not comfortable with that, and I don’t think the opposition should be forced to put up with it.
As I said… I love the haka, I’d be sad to see it go, but it does give us an unfair advantage. Playing away let the host nation decide whether they want to face it.
12 Jul 2006, 10:55 am
I suppose the Kiwis have the right to do what ever they like in New Zealand but if they do the new haka at Newlands, the throat cutting gesture would be most inappropriate in a country riddled with a culture of violence. I mean how would the All Blacks feel if the Springboks did a Zulu war dance at Eden Park finishing with a one digit salute?. SARFU should tell the New Zealand Rugby Union to do the ******/nuts excercise with their haka when they are in South Africa.!!!!Hamba Kahle
12 Jul 2006, 10:57 am
as a hardcore allblacks supporter,i think its great getting all this reaction to anything allblacks do!!!
as for the new haka,i thinks its awesome!!! this is wot seperates us from the rest of the medeocre rugby teams around the world…
the thing is, despite allblacks involment with handbags,field urinating,wearing eyeliner,doin a ferocious kapahaka performance suggesting they are gona cut your throat…its all good because they are the best…and they can..
they have the biggest hitters,fastest runners,all blacks play the type of rugby all you other countrys dream about…
lets recap wot they have done so far since 05…
won the trinations & bledisloe cup,+super 12
destroyed the lions (wot a joke!!!)
won the grandslam & beat england with 13 players
beat irish twice
beat the tango dancers
embarrassed the wannabies at jade..
allblacks dont have to win the world cup cos everyone knows there still the best!!
aussies proved that lol!!
for all the people who go on about poaching island players,well you obviously u dont know about the polynesian race,our language is basically the same,we have the same values.nz is a huge part of polynesia!!wether yr maori,samoan,cook islander,tongan.
u want to know about poaching?? why have aussie nrl & afl teams hav feeder camps set up in auckland-wellington & christchurch???
thats poaching!!!
to all you allblack haters out there!! go hard!! it just fuels them to be better!!
allblacks for life!!!
12 Jul 2006, 11:06 am
Allblacks4life
I recon the Boks should run out onto the field when we play again and as soon as the haka starts our guys should pull out handbags and start swinging at each other, completely ignoring the haka.
Nice try on the world cup thing … your living in denial. Bless you.
12 Jul 2006, 16:05 pm
lol….nice one pumpkin!!!
i assume your from s.a,the power house of world rugby!!1lol yeah right!!
the day they start playing beyond one dimensional rugby(dumb rugby at that) then maybe the whole world will take note!!
lol…
12 Jul 2006, 18:39 pm
allblacks4life…be nice.
13 Jul 2006, 09:43 am
Post 172 kamate. 2005 2004 Newlands Ellis park respectively.
13 Jul 2006, 09:46 am
Post 174 yip so you are the typical kiwi hey? now I know where TT gets his mentality but at least he can spell.
13 Jul 2006, 09:50 am
If the Ab’s are not worried about the world cup then why have they got like three teams? Alldickforlife are you from Hamilton?
13 Jul 2006, 17:33 pm
lol…to pompies ,you have no come back with rugby……???so you turn into the grammar police…???
good on you……???
im from christchurch….and very proud of it!!!
im glad you take so much interest in allblacks supporters….
we couldnt give a rats *** about you!!!
i bet your team never gets this much attention.
lol….
14 Jul 2006, 03:01 am
AB’s
I’m glad to see you are so happy lol
Are you a Tackler wannabe?
Tackler has an IQ,
come back once you’ve found one
or at least worked out what one is.
Until then don’t be such an embarassmant to NZ
14 Jul 2006, 03:28 am
oh gee….
why dont you talk rugby??
lmao….
14 Jul 2006, 04:11 am
Ricane don’t worry about alldickfourlife just ignore and he will eventually evaporate.
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