"The Haka...better than cheerleaders!" Topic

We've all seen it, but it's still inspirational! Check out this clip of the Haka at a NZ v. Tonga match.

YouTube link

Cheerleaders are (great) eye candy, but this moves you!

Maybe we should do this before our wargames to intimidate our opponents…but I guess it would be unfair.

How about cheerleaders doing the Haka…?

Also shows why they are called "All Blacks".

Now, imagine two groups of rival wargamers (say DBM vs. FoG factions) doing that in a wargaming convention!

Brilliant!
They should do the Haka before Black Cap games! Now that would be funny…

They are called 'All Blacks' because their uni's are all black. Nothing more than that. When the team started they were all white guys.

Check the All Blacks web page for some history if you are interested.

Ya know. I was never moved to try re-enacting. But this (the Haka) is something that I could get into.

mjc

With some of the gamers I know it would look more like the prelims to a sumo bout. Take a look at the Samoan & Fijian versions, those guys really mean it.

Wow, a bunch of white guys doing a traditional Samoan war ritual..we have that here in the US too, white kids thinking they are hard core gangsta rappers…Ha Ha Ha

Hmmm…while it is entertaining, I'll keep my college cheerleaders thank you!

"Wow, a bunch of white guys doing a traditional Samoan war ritual.."

It's a Haka, the New Zealand Maori ritual pre combat challenge, not Samoan.

"Wow, a bunch of white guys doing a traditional Samoan war ritual..we have that here in the US too, white kids thinking they are hard core gangsta rappers…Ha Ha Ha"

I'm English, and have no great love for the All Blacks, but these "white boys"(as you so charmingly put it), can play Rugby (except in world cups).
My favourite All Black story was from the 80's, when the then captain, a "white boy" called Wayne Shelford had 17 stitches administered to his scrotum on the touchline and then went back onto the field…Imagine, Richard, you were the poor fool who had inflicted that injury upon him…doubtless you would have gone…"Ha Ha Ha" before he tore your head off and spat down the hole.. How many NFL nonces have ever done anything like that? ….

Buck Shelford is a God, no matter the country of support.

Stand 20 yards from a HAKA and tell me they don't mean it.

I can only think of one better …

YouTube link

Oh crap, that almost tempts me to watch TV again, so's I don't miss the good ones….

I was in NZ for a couple of years back in the 70's and saw the Haka performed numerous times. I found it hard not to grin (my life would have been at risk if I had, so I managed)….

Does anyone know of any old footage of the Haka. I am told it was a cross between the village people and your dad dancing at a wedding.

"I'm English, and have no great love for the All Blacks, but these "white boys"(as you so charmingly put it), can play
My favourite All Black story was from the 80's, when the then captain, a "white boy" called Wayne Shelford had 17 stitches administered to his scrotum on the touchline and then went back onto the field…Imagine, Richard, you were the poor fool who had inflicted that injury upon him…doubtless you would have gone…"Ha Ha Ha" before he tore your head off and spat down the hole.. How many NFL nonces have ever done anything like that? …."

Ok, here we go with the "rugby players are the toughest guys in the sports world because they don't wear safety gear" speech.Who cares, these guys have more muscles than sense anyway..let the flaming begin.

BTW the Hawaii'an college football team here in the US does that song and dance routine before every game, and they ain't New Zealand Maori's, so lets call it a South Pacific Islander ritual so we don't offend any Kiwi's

I sm quite sure that any of those guys could rip me apart – likewise any NFL player. I am a middle aged guy just trying to stay in something like shaape. The advantage that NFL players have is awesome and professional conditioning programs and equipment.

I don't think any NFL team could pull that off. A percentage Native Americans are not pleased with Washington's use of the "Redskins" moniker, otherwise a proper war dance might be the proper ceremony preceding their games.

Wyatt

polynesian is the word you are all scrambling for..

I remember seeing a video of the cheerleaders from a local high school, Euless Trinity, doing the Haka but I couldn't find anything on You Tube.

The best I could find is the football team:

YouTube link

Trinity has a number of Tongans on their team and started doing the Haka a few of years ago. They became more notable when they won the state football championship.

BTW the Hawaii'an college football team here in the US does that song and dance routine

To the great and everlasting amusement of the University of Georgia who promptly stomped them into a mudhole and then stomped it dry. The intimidation factor only works if you are on the plus side of the bigger, faster, stronger equation.

Yep, seen that game…it was funny, wasn't June Jones the coach for Hawaii at that time…

The haka has many variations and meanings as a ritual. A popular one is in the version used by the All Blacks in the qualifying rounds of a Rugby World Cup, where it is used as a traditional farewell to the competition. There is a school of thought that says that the original meaning of the term translates as 'we choke, when it really matters' something reflected in the contemporary NZ collective noun 'ewes jokers'.

My youngest daughter married a very nice Maori bloke. Big muscular fellow.
At the wedding I think half of NZ must have come over to Australia and they told us there wold be a Haka to drive off evil spirits. Fortunately I thought to warn the Reception Hall staff about it on the day, so they didnt think a war had broken out. When the Haka started the staff poured into the reception area to watch.

The best man started the thing and was very impressive. Then after a while there were big blokes all over the hall throwing their shirts off to join in. WOW! What a noise!

All the Aussie guests kind of cringed back in amazement as all these huge Maori blokes strutted their stuff in front of the bridal table.

Last year my son in law was called on to start the Haka at his Grandmother's funeral. He might be a huge young man, but is terribly shy, so there were some doubts as to how he would get on. But apparently he practiced and had secret lessons before the funeral. So on the day he was downright amazing and was congratulated by all. My daughter, his wife, was astonished that her shy and gentle husband could do such a ferocious Haka!

I dont know if it would be a good idea to do that before a wargame….I think the neighbours would call the Police in sheer fright!

"Ok, here we go with the "rugby players are the toughest guys in the sports world because they don't wear safety gear" speech.Who cares, these guys have more muscles than sense anyway..let the flaming begin."

Not at all… I was directing it at YOU, Richard…another internet hero..if you actually came face to face with a rugby player you'd keep your mouth shut…after you'd wet yourself

Having played a fair bit of rugby to a good standard all I can say is, Moari's, Samoans, Fijians, Tongans et al are frightening on the pitch, but generally friendly nice people off it. On the pitch they give absolutely no quarter though.

On NFL conditioning etc, it is for a totally different style of game, an NFL player only needs wind for 30 seconds as he will get a couple of minutes of recovery after each play, so they can do strength and sprint training in a way a Rugby player can't as he needs to be effective for up to 3 minutes at a time (longer than that and someone is bound to have knocked on!) but they also get less recovery times between stoppages. I know one international prop who thought TMO's were the greatest invention ever as he actually got to get his breath back…

The rugby teams from the different Pacific groups all use different war dance rituals from their different cultures. The Kapa o Pango All Black haka that got introduced a few years back I always felt was a bit wet compared to the Kamate one (in my opinion) – Kapa gets the All Blacks going, but Kamate REALLY gets them going. And make no mistake the thing is hugely motivational – (Cockerill v Hewitt anyone?)

Personally, I think the Siva Tau the Samoans use is the best looking of the ones you see at a rugby match though.

…oh and Ill agree with Fredd – Pacific Islanders are lethal on the pitch – we have a bunch of Fijians play for us and they can be really rather scary in the hit and disturbingly powerful on the ball. They are however some of the nicest blokes you'll ever meet in the bar.

But how would you wargame it….. :)

On NFL conditioning etc, it is for a totally different style of game, an NFL player only needs wind for 30 seconds as he will get a couple of minutes of recovery after each play, so they can do strength and sprint training in a way a Rugby player can't as he needs to be effective for up to 3 minutes at a time (longer than that and someone is bound to have knocked on!) but they also get less recovery times between stoppages. I know one international prop who thought TMO's were the greatest invention ever as he actually got to get his breath back…

Exactly – they are totally different games. To be honest though rugby in 2009 is a very different game to what it was, I remember watching Gareth Chilcott sitting down for a breather on the half way line whilst the game went on around him.

As a contrast when I made the mistake of trying to take rugby up after a 10 year break I realized the extent of my error when I saw the scrum half was 6'4 and there was a 2nd row who had been a county 100m champion….

To be fair to Richard1967 though having played a bit of American Football I can certainly appreciate the physicality of it and I would be as adverse to calling any NFL player a 'nonce' as a I would calling a rugby player thick.

Back to the question at hand. Better than cheerleaders? No. Any NFL game will erase that thought from your mind straight away.

Bledisloe tomorrow night….hmm and the cricket as well..choices choices..

When I was a lad, my father took me to an England v NZ rugby match. The Kamate Haka scared the hell out out of me – job done, methinks. The new Haka doesn't quite cut the mustard, IMHO.

Moari's, Samoans, Fijians, Tongans et al are frightening on the pitch, but generally friendly nice people off it. On the pitch they give absolutely no quarter though.

Very true indeed. Very gentle people. But one thing I quickly learnt was that if they get stuck in to the booze….and then get up doing the Harka at each other….it is time to leave!!! The quicker the better!

to "CHRISTOT"… apparently you assume I'm some kind of out of shape, fat guy that sits behind the screen and wishes I was some kind of athletic hero, all I have to say is, if we ever came face to face, you'd keep your mouth shut ….after you wet yourself…BTW my brother played in the NFL for 7 years, check him out on Wikipedia "Matt Campbell/Carolina Panthers", played with the Carolina Panthers and the Washington Redskins,and he is tougher than any rugby player that you can come up with..

LOL – Oh yeah, well my brother can beat up your brother. Didn't I hear that in 2nd grade. Can we get back to the discussion of chearleaders doing the Haka. Surely there's a video of it somewhere.

Loved the All Blacks doing the Haka. I had never seen that before. Those guys have a real team spirit and intensity that is just great to watch!

David

yea you are right, this is getting dumb, two guys puffing their chests…Haka is scarey..cheerleaders are hot…don't need scarey cheerleaders doing the Haka…lol

Gents,
Can we try to keep this civil and cut all the Rugby vs American Football posing. My son has managed to pick up some interesting injuries in both games. If you want to be really picky Rugby League is tougher than either, no time for front row fat boys to lean on each other.
Just to pre-empt the Aussie & Celtic fraternities you wouldn't catch me playing Aussie Rules or Shinty unless my life depended on it.
Regarding the remarks about Polynesians playing hard and leaving it on the pitch, I couldn't agree more. There's a reason why a very high proportion on the Fijians who joined the British army in the 60s ended up in the SAS. It's about being a bezerker at the right time.

"Rugby League is tougher than either, no time for front row fat boys to lean on each other."

well at least you are keeping it civil and cutting out the Rugby vs NFL posing

Professional Rugby league is a really tough game….my Mum had to give it up though after she had her first child…;o)

I saw the All Blacks play on a number of occasions at Twickenham and Cardiff Arms Park against England and Wales respectively. The Haka never fails to impress.

Sorry I played RU for Bath back in the late 70's early 80's (all be in in there 4th team) and I have no time for Rugby League. They are very different games.

My complaint is that professionalism ruined RU. When I played it it was definitely a white collar game.

The English have a saying: "Football (Soccer) is a game for gentleman played by hooligans. Rugby (Union) is a game for hooligans played by gentleman."

Given that the cheerleaders for the LA Rams could've played football better than the team in their last years here…

Man, I wish we'd had internet back in the 1980s. My high school football team had a mix of Tongans, Samoans and other Polynesians. The marching band's drum line had members bigger than the other school's offensive line.

When my daughter visited New Zealand and Fiji last year, I prepped her by showing some of the All Black's (and others) hakas. Granted, the haka that greeted her group at the Maori village was friendly, she was the only one who knew what to expect.

Wyatt

Speaking of cheerleaders, have you seen these?

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Grief, why not just cut to the chase and show Zardoz….

I could not find any pictures of Zardoz-costumed cheerleaders, unfortunately.

I also could not find any pics of a Zardoz-costumed rugby team doing haka.

Speaking of cheerleaders, have you seen these?

That does it. I'll never get to sleep tonight!!!

Sheeeeeeeeeeeeessshhhh! The horror!

Top respect to the pictured guy in the #13 vest.

He's tough enough for rugby league.

Awesome. I've only been to NZ once, saw a Haka in Rotorua, very impressive. Makes want to hunt around for my long lost Maori figures from Eureka Minis!! Somewhere in that gaming closet…might be able to find them if the spiders don't get me first!

Since my son started playing high school rugby I've become a big fan of it. In his first year he got a black eye and broke his nose. And his team is mostly a bunch of hoodlums playing other teams of hoodlums. I actually saw an opponent intentionally step on a players arm trying to break it.

Because of rugby, I stumbled onto the Haka and saw something like it on a tv show where a Polynisian martial artist and a Kung Fu martial artist were in some type of competition to see which one was better. The kung fu expert had a great time making fun of the facial gestures, hand gestures, etc and won the competition. But, it wasn't a cake walk.

At any rate, I'm a big fan of the Haka and spent many an hour on youtube watching. The raising of the kilts is incredibly funny to me.

However, as incredible and fearsome as the Haka is, it cannot even come close to replacing cheerleaders.

my .02 worth
Comrade tb

Hah on NFL players, rugby players, shinty players, gailic or aussie rules players, the toughest sportsman I ever saw was a cricketer…

Prizes for anyone who can name him.

Top respect to the pictured guy in the #13 vest.

It's from the movie "Dodgeball."

One of my top three or four sports movies.

138SquadronRAF

My complaint is that professionalism ruined RU. When I played it it was definitely a white collar game.

Just to make sure; you are suggesting that now they've let the blue collar players in to earn a living the game has gone downhill?

Have I misread your post or are you displaying elitist snobishness?

If you played for Bath then you'd have played team from the Forest of Dean and they ain't no white collared gentlemen… although they'd happily reset you bones for you after, which is nice.

Steve P

In Amateur days english Rugby tended to be played by public schoolboys and university students and graduates, policemen, servicemen and farmers, with a smattering of other trades

Posh Rugby was Bath and Harlequinns and players with blues. Down to earth rugby was Leicester and Gloucester and Fyld, with everyone else somewhere between the two with a smattering of all types.