With New Zealand set to take on Australia in the Rugby World Cup final on Saturday, one of the most popular sports traditions is in the limelight – the Haka dance. It’s an intense and full-body dance which is performed by all the 23 members of the New Zealand team.
The first Haka dance of the tournament was performed by the defending champions ahead of their opening match against Argentina’s Pumas at the Wembley stadium earlier this month.
The Haka dance is a traditional war dance which was originally performed by the people of the Maori people of New Zealand in the 1820s. It is a dance with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment.
The Maori people used to perform this dance before going to war.
Former All Black player, Rico Gear said performing the Haka dance is an intense experience.
You need to know how to come back down. As long as you’re focused, you can show that ihi [essential force] and wehi [awe] through your eyes, and through your actions, without going crazy. And again [it’s] that controlled aggression, which relates to rugby where you need to be mentally in control.
Rico Gear