The New Hakka

The new All Blacks

The new Haka was made specially for the All Blacks in the year 2005 which is called "Kapa O Pango". The new Haka talks about being one with the land, being strong, facing your fear and to become one as a team.

Kapa o pango kia whakawhenua au i ahau!

Let me become one with the land

Hi aue, hi! 

Ko Aotearoa e ngunguru nei!

This is our land that rumbles

Au, au, aue ha!

And it’s my time! It’s my moment!

Ko Kapa o Pango e ngunguru nei!

This defines us as the All Blacks

Au, au, aue ha!

It’s my time! It’s my moment!

I ahaha!

Ka tu te ihiihi

Our dominance

Ka tu te wanawana

Our supremacy will triumph

Ki runga ki te rangi e tu iho nei, 

tu iho nei, hi!

And will be placed on high

Ponga ra!

Silver fern!

Kapa o Pango, aue hi!

All Blacks!

Ponga ra!

Silver fern!

Kapa o Pango, aue hi, ha!

All Blacks

This new Haka is more referred to the rugby team rather than the old one because the old one focused on the warriors. The All Blacks first performed this Haka was against Africa in August 2005 and the gesture used was mainly the thumb down the throat, interpreting that this is a gesture of "throat-slitting" directed to the oppose team.


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The Old Hakka

The old All Blacks

The old Haka called "Ka Mate" means "I Die". This was the first Haka that had been used by the Māori tribe and the old All Blacks had been using this Haka before the rugby game started. This old Haka is more toward the spiritual side.

Ka Mate! Ka Mate! Ka Ora! Ka Ora! 

(I die! I die! I live! I live!)

Tenei Te Tangata Puhuru Huru

(This is the hairy man)

Nana Mei I Tiki Mai

(Who brought the sun)

Whakawiti Te Ra

(And caused it to shine again)

A upane! Ka upane!

(A step upward! Another step upward!)

Whiti Tera!

(The sun shines)

The origin of this old Haka comes from one of the Māori tribes, Hatorou, that had a conflict with another tribe,Waikato, and when Waikato had ask other tribes to join him to go against Hatorou, the chief started to seek for help from a their tohunga which is some sort of a priest and the chief muttered the word "Ka Mate, Ka Ora" as a war cry.


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Hakka & All Blacks

A video of All Blacks performing Haka during a match

The Haka has come to symbolise the power of the All Blacks and their status in the world of rugby. The team leaves an impression of invincibility and ruthlessness toward their opponent. Many different Haka have been used by the All Blacks over time. 'Tena Koe Kangaroo' was used in 1903, 'Ka Mate' was used in 1906, 'Ko Niu Tireni' in 1924 and 'Kapo O Pango' in 2005. The Haka usually associated with the All Blacks is Ka Mate. Ka Mate is a type of Haka called 'Hakka Taparachi' which is a 'ceremonial Haka'. The All Blacks also used another Haka called 'Kapo O Pango' which the Haka was written specifically for them. That particular Hakka talks about becoming one with the land, with New Zealand and it is about being strong, facing your fears and becoming one as a team.


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How The Haka Is Used Today

The New Zealand Rugby team performing the Haka

The New Zealand Soldiers performing the Haka

Haka nowadays has been used by sporting teams such as their own national rugby team, The New Zealand All Blacks. The Modern All Blacks perform Haka with passion and pride. They have reclaimed and mystique attached to this traditional art form and in the process, it also increase its recognition as an identifier of New Zealand. Today, the New Zealand army also has its own unique Haka, opened and ended by female soldier, acknowledging their special place in the force. The Haka also has become an unique form of expression because there are many New Zealanders living overseas and it is likely that they will engage in performing the Haka dance in foreign countries. New Zealand government usually request Haka group to perform in front of other countries' delegate. These are some of the ways that Haka is being internationalised.


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The Meaning of Haka

Example of Haka lyrics

The word 'Haka' simply means a dance or a song accompanied by a dance. While they are the correct terms to associate with Haka, they are not fix only  to the life force, the actions, the words, rhythm, themes, meaning, style or history. Even though there are many types of dance war, they will always have the common feature which is every dance war needs to be performed using weapons. In the early times, the Haka was used as a part of the formal process when two parties come together. For example, an encounter concluded with a 'tangata whanue a haka peruperu', the visitor will respond with their own Haka. After the speeches by both parties, they will perform a gesture called 'hongi'. The traditional greeting by pressing each other's noses. The tradition is not often seen these days. It is largely reserved for special occasions such as visits by the senior dignitaries. However, the principles that underpin the traditional rituals are still retained in a modern form.

The gesture of 'hongi'

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History of Haka Dance

The origins of Haka are deeply rooted in the mists of time. New Zealand was the place where Haka was born. The history rich in folklore and legend that reflect Maori heritage. New Zealand has grown immersed in Haka since first encounter between Māori and early European explorers, missionaries and settlers. While recent tradition suggests that Haka dance was the domain of men exclusively, legend and history reflect different story. The story of the famous Haka, Ka Matel, proves to be about the power of female sexuality. The first use of the Haka in the natural world was attributed to the Chief Tinirau and some of his womenfolk. The chief wanted to seek for revenge to the person who killed his pet whale. The only thing they knew about the killer was his uneven teeth. When the women arrived to the killer's village, they performed Haka to force a smile from the men in order to find the killer.


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Introduction to Haka

Māori people

Haka dance or Māori war dance us a posture dance that involve the entire body in a vicious rhythmic movement. The dance moves include swaying, slapping in the chest and thighs, stomping and gestures of stylised violence. In the Haka dance, it also accompanied by a chant and fierce facial expressions that are meant to intimidate, such as sticking out of the tongue and bulging their eye. This dance often associate with the traditional battles for male warriors. Haka can be performed by both male and female. There are also several varieties of dance to fulfil social functions within the Maori culture. This dance is now well known because of the New Zealand rugby team. They will perform this dance before their matches. 

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