This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 at 12:21 pm and is filed under Rugby. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Perhaps one of the most intimidating spectacles in all of sports is the introductions by this elite rugby squad. Moments from entering the scrum, they attempt to attempt each other with traditional war dances. The New Zealand All Blacks participate in the Haka, which was:
“originally performed by warriors before a battle, proclaiming their strength and prowess in order to intimidate the opposition. Today, haka constitute an integral part of formal or official welcome ceremonies for distinguished visitors or foreign dignitaries, serving to impart a sense of the importance of the occasion.”
I would love to see ANY NFL team come out doing this dance. I’m pretty sure it’s quite frightening for the opposing players.
Here is a video of the spectacle:
What are they saying? Here are the unofficial lyrics:
| Leader: | 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! | ||
| Leader: | Ka mate, ka mate | ‘it is death, it is death | |
| Team: | Ka ora | ‘it is life, ‘it is life (or: I live) | |
| Leader: | Ka mate, ka mate | ‘It is death, ‘It is death | |
| Team: | Ka ora | ‘It is life, ‘It is life | |
| All: | Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru | This is the hairy man | |
| Nāna i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā | …Who caused the sun to shine again for me | ||
| Upane…Upane | Up the ladder Up the ladder | ||
| Upane Kaupane” | Up to the top | ||
| Whiti te rā,! | The sun shines! |
