What do Los Pumas think of the All Blacks ritual?

There is perhaps no other iconic moment in rugby like the All Blacks haka. They have been repeating it, although not uninterruptedly, for 135 years and it still continues to capture the attention of viewers and the silence of spectators on the field. It is amazing to see it from the stands: the stadium falls silent and the 23 players wait in formation and break their ritual in that moment of tension.

On Friday, when The Pumas face New Zealand for the World Cup semi-finals in France, here in Saint Dennis, it will happen again. Unlike what it seems, it is an indigenous ritual that speaks in the first person, not to the rival in front of them. It serves to intimidate, logically, but it does not involve the “enemy” in his harangue.

How did ritual come to rugby and end up stripped of all original authenticity to become a marketing tool? On Sunday, when Japan and Argentina were playing for a place in the quarterfinals, 135 years have passed since New Zealand first performed tribal dance before a rugby match, on a tour of Great Britain.

They were not yet the All Blacks, on that 1888 tour they were The Natives and they were mostly Maori players, except for four pakehas – white men, according to the native language – who had an idea to raise money: recreate the ritual before the game to attract the public and thus pay for the return trip. It was a commercial success that was repeated in every away game.

Popularity came on another tour, this time in 1905 and also in Great Britain, due to the media impact: The newspapers talked about the Oceania team completing a pre-match ritual. Little by little, it began to be a registered trademark of that team, although always abroad.

The haka is an original dance that was performed between tribes in the midst of a conflict. They were times of cannibalism and the idea to avoid being eaten was to intimidate. The tribal chiefs composed them and took great care to ensure that the gestures accompanied the words. There are no traces of that ancestral rite.

Ka Mate -“It is Death”, according to the Spanish translation-, is one of the oldest rituals and the one used by the All Blacks. The players seek – at least when they incorporated it for each of the matches – to honor their ancestors and psychologically mark their opponents. Now, it’s pure marketing.

The haka, the ritual that began representing the ancestors and is a marketing tool. AFP Photo

That was written in 1820 by the chief of the Ngati-Toa tribe, who – according to history – was chased by his enemies and saved himself by hiding. The song spoke of the possibilities of dying in combat, and the leader – who begins and offers the slogans that the group repeats – ponders the capabilities of the tribe and its worldview.

Starting with the first World Cup in 1987, with venues in New Zealand and Australia, The All Blacks performed their haka for the first time in their country and since then it was the preamble to each of their matches. It has also been taught as a compulsory subject in New Zealand schools since 2002. “It is even more important than the anthem,” said captain of the All Blacks in the 1999 World Cup, Taine Randell.

But the current one, have nothing to do with that original piecel. It is called Kapa O Pango and it was specially written for the All Blacks, who premiered it on August 27, 2005 against South Africa. What does the lyrics say now and what explanation does the spear that they included for the World Cup in France have? Is it more aggressive?

With the World Cup underway, there is nothing better than going to the sources. The New Zealand press officer, Jo Malcom, demonstrates the striking universality of this function: zero interest in collaborating, what a paradox, with the press.

Samoa and their own haka, at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard in Saint-Etienne, against Argentina. AP Photo

“It’s not a spear, it’s a traditional paddle called ‘hoi’ in the Maori language. The haka is about us, not the opposing team. It unites us as a team. The translation is the same as always and is in the media guide,” he responds and considers the round trip exhausted. (Good luck on Friday, Jo).

Now, the leader’s voice shouts: “Let me be one with the earth!” and the group responds: “New Zealand roars here! The All Blacks roar here!” Go increasing and it gets spicy when he harangues: “Raise your eyes in the face of fear! Raise your eyes in the face of terror!”, and everyone looks at the rivals with wide eyes and insane expressions that make the moment intimidating.

Aaron Smith, the leader in the haka wielding an oar. AFP Photo

What happens to rivals with the haka?

On Friday, once again the Argentine players will stand in the anthem position and embrace each other and watch how their rivals, just like their ancestors – or similar – will try to intimidate them. And how does it impact receiving the haka in the first person? The question is answered by Marcos Kremer.

“I have enormous respect for their beliefs and rituals. I have a lot of admiration for them, since my debut against them. But It doesn’t take me out of the game, I think about mine and preparing to face the game in the best way, not much further. I am in charge of controlling the things that I can control and can do. As a rugby man, I have admiration, I appreciate it, although I remain focused on what I do,” explained the third row.

What do players generally do at that time? Some counterattack with a fixed, unblinking stare for the duration of the ritual. Others smile and some avoid eye contact. There is no way to get past that moment.

This is how Los Pumas will face the haka of the All Blacks. Photo Emmanuel Fernández/ Special Envoy

“The mistake is leaving what we can handle, the protocol, how we concentrate, leaving what we plan, where we feel comfortable. It is a mistake to give so much importance to the haka, a unique situation in which they rely,” points out the forwards coach, Andrés Bordoy.

So far, the only thing that hurt Los Pumas happened before the haka: the day the All Blacks offered a black t-shirt with the fern on the chest and the 10 on the back for the post-mortem tribute to Diego Maradona, who shone brightly. his absence by the Argentine National Team.

2023-10-17 18:44:27
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