New Zealand-Namibia: What is that paddle that the All Blacks use when performing the haka at the Rugby World Cup?
While performing the haka against New Zealand and Namibia in their second World Cup match on Friday night, the All Blacks showed off a paddle to lead the dance. Explanations.
This Friday, September 15, just minutes before the start of the New Zealand-Namibia match at Toulouse Stadium, the All Blacks performed the traditional haka. For Namibians, they have dedicated the “Kaba or Bangu” dance, which is the most violent version of this dance and comes in several versions.
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As for the opening match between France and New Zealand, the New Zealanders were innovative. Aaron Smith, the New Zealand captain, used a wooden instrument, a paddle, to lead the haka. It is, as the Tahiti Museum explains, “a ceremonial paddle, called a ‘shovel’ in Polynesian.”
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“The ceremonial paddle appears to have been used as a ‘dance paddle’ during ceremonies, or a symbol of the authority assigned to chiefs, intended to symbolically guide the canoe or group,” the museum’s website states.
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