The Haka

October 6, 2007

The quarterfinals of the 2007 Rugby World Cup are now underway and this weekend’s matches pit New Zealand against France. Of course, no rugby match featuring The All-Blacks won’t be complete without the haka.

The haka is a traditional posture dance from the Maori people of New Zealand. It is accompanied by shouts and performed by a group. It is not just a war dance but it is performed for a variety of reasons such as welcoming guests and for celebrating achievements. The NZ All-Blacks and the NZ Maoris perform this dance before every international match.

What’s fascinating about the haka is that it’s such a powerful display of national pride. The members of the team may be European or Polynesian but everybody is equally passionate. It’s not just posturing. They can back it up with performance. The Kiwis are the top-ranked team in the world today.

Interestingly, the other South Pacific teams (Samoa, Fiji, Tonga) also have their own version of the haka.

I also relate to the haka because Philippine dialects are part of the Malayo-Polynesian group of languages. In fact, the words to one of their popular haka goes, “Ka mate, ka mate (I die, I die). In Pampango “mete” also means to die.

Here’s the haka, from the match between New Zealand and Portugal in this year’s World Cup.