videos. Women’s Rugby World Cup. In New Zealand, women’s Hakka are not men’s

Against Australia on October 8, just before the New Zealand players began their traditional Maori dance, historic winger Portia Woodman and captain Ruahi Diman stepped forward and began to sing. On that day, before they started the haka, black ferns added a karanga, the traditional greeting song for Māori women. In New Zealand many have spoken of the best ever Haka at Eden Park.

Both teams, the Blacks Ferns and the All Blacks, perform this traditional dance before every match. But each selection has its own haka. Traditionally, ka mati is reserved for men, but men in black can also opt for the more animalistic kappa or pango, which was first shown in August 2005, in Dunedin, South Africa.

Ancestors and identity

For their part, the long white cloud country players in 2009 have opted for Ko Uhia Mai (which can be translated as “Let it be known” or “Let us know”) since 2009, under the leadership of icon Farrah Palmer (former prostitute, now Member of the New Zealand Federation). In this haka, written in 2006 by Māori leader Wetu Tipiwaii, they present themselves as the women who hold the future and future of humanity.

When the men sit down and show their strength, the women remain straight and erect. They perform more fluid movements with their arms reminiscent of the arms of the vahines of Polynesia. They also do bokana (eyes popping out) but they don’t stick out their tongues. In their lyrics, they evoke collective strength and challenge, speak of mountains, lakes and rivers and also appeal to the deities of Maori culture.

Marseille impromptu

In 2018, the French, not impressed, responded to New Zealand’s Haka with an impromptu Marseille…