Haka preference

It seems that many people prefer the Ka Mate haka to Kapa O Pango. Yet the latter is the one the ABs pull out for the games they either think are special matches or opponents they respect the most.

So you might see the haka you prefer but if your team faces Ka Mate, do you see it as a slight against your team because in effect your team is not considered good enough to face Kapa O Pango?

I have astrong affinity with the Ka Mate, but reall ydon't mind which one the All Blacks perform.

You do realise though this thread is gonna go bang, sooner than later?

I enjoy and prefer Ka Mate. I don't really see the need for a second Haka. If the new Kapa O Pango is 'special' then Ka Mate becomes "not-so-special" by definition. Why cheapen the Ka Mate Haka?

Can't tell the bloody difference to be honest. What is the one that is performed by the Baby Blacks? I always liked that one, but it seems like it has been changed this year compared to the last few years.

prefer the Kapa o Pango , led by non other than Tana Umaga

I still think that they should change it just once and do a scene from West Side Story.

I think they usually do the ka mate in the NH because that's what the money men want...

I dont see why the All Blacks sould be allowed to perform the HAKA, any HAKA for that matter, the HAKA is supposed to be a challange laid down by the All Blacks to the oposing team.

And yet the oposing team cannot in any way challange the HAKA they just have to stand their like shop dummies.

So i say BAN the HAKA. lets have both teams national anthems, and then let the game begin.

By the way i do like watching the HAKA. but it is getting out dated. Dont you think?

No.

agree with majestic about getting rid of it. I've always enjoyed the haka but on Saturday, for the first time ever, I spent its entirety thinking that it's a bit silly really. way too much is made of it & it's going overboard that we have cameras in front of the players so we can pretend we're facing it. was ok when viewers got a more distant view like we were sitting in the stands.

Well I made special effort on Saturday to just record the Haka and saved it on my Decoder for future reference, but I guess I am one of the few.

there's a few good versions on youtube, the (in)famous 1973 version not being one of them

Obviously I have watched it several times over the years and just like morris dancing I find it quite comical.
I do not mean to be disrespectful to morris dancers or the Haka I just find it funny when grown men prance about or pull faces.

I think i understand why it might be important to you biltong because of the huge rivalry and history between SA and NZ.

But for me i really don't care about it any more and i usually use it as a snack/urine break, no offence.

Why have NZ reverted to a Haka where the guys are all collected together and they have 3 lines of 5?

For me the Haka was at its height in terms of its power and passion when Carlos Spencer ran the show. Then you had all AB players visable to their opposite number rather than hiding the non maori's/new caps at the back so they don't look out of place.

PS - how much time to they spend on the Haka before a match... for new caps whilst it is surely an honour esp for guys part Maori it must be quite daunting as its not a simple routine... rugby guys aren't known for their dancing prowess, well unless you count after a dozen beers down the local cattle market???

Prefer Ka mate I think.... love the Haka man, sends a shiver down my spine....would prefer if the opposition were allowed to challenge it though .

Ka Mate is far better and doesn't breach the IRB code of conduct so blatantly.

No comment, yet

Morgannwg wrote:Can't tell the bloody difference to be honest. What is the one that is performed by the Baby Blacks? I always liked that one, but it seems like it has been changed this year compared to the last few years.

surely it can't have changed, it's "tradition"!?

majesticimperialman wrote:I dont see why the All Blacks sould be allowed to perform the HAKA, any HAKA for that matter, the HAKA is supposed to be a challange laid down by the All Blacks to the oposing team.

And yet the oposing team cannot in any way challange the HAKA they just have to stand their like shop dummies.

So i say BAN the HAKA. lets have both teams national anthems, and then let the game begin.

By the way i do like watching the HAKA. but it is getting out dated. Dont you think?

I reckon the Pyramids are getting a bit out of date as well.

aucklandlaurie wrote:I reckon the Pyramids are getting a bit out of date as well.

Yes, there hasn't been any of those built for about 4000 years.

haha, another haka thread.. ermm we need the hakafactor as i have alluded to before- and then the world can vote on its best variation

The Great Aukster wrote:

aucklandlaurie wrote:I reckon the Pyramids are getting a bit out of date as well.

Yes, there hasn't been any of those built for about 4000 years.

yet people still look at them.

auckland we look at them because they are old, There are a wonder, its a massive human acheivement in times when we didnt have the same advances. we watch the haka because its on telly before big games, if it wasnt on telly we wouldnt rush in our thousands/millions to see this tribal dance.

No disrespect to maouri culture at all, but in truth its no different or more important than other cultural rituals! all are on the same level in my mind

I think we need more Pyramids .

Mystir
You surprise me, I actually agree with you.

You usually go into the haka threads guns ablazing, or is this the calm before...

Pyramids in todays envioromental climate are kinda unethical- they waste to much space- however what about an upside down pyramid- now we are getting somewhere... (by the way they invented that as well!!)

aucklandlaurie wrote: Mystir
You surprise me, I actually agree with you.

You usually go into the haka threads guns ablazing, or is this the calm before...

not sure where i am gonna go with this to be honest aucks, but i like the subject of pryamids and more of them

I cant help but think that pyramid building could be a good objective for unemployment work schemes.

Would anybody like to get involved in my Pyramid schemes ?

Are you sure its a pyramid and not a Ponzy?

The first thing to note is that this is not a pyramid scheme.....

Whats a pyramid scheme?

(peep show)

aucklandlaurie wrote: I cant help but think that pyramid building could be a good objective for unemployment work schemes.

If it wasn't for pyramid schemes there might not be so many unemployed.....

The Egyptian pyramids were all built with slave labour so it wasn't especially ethical then either!

Can the pyramids be compared to the Haka because it is unethical?

But you can make the haka anything you want,ethical,unethical whatever takes your fancy. The beauty of it is that there are no wrong answers.

Firstly everyone knows that the pyramids were built by aliens and that cystal skulls are the aliens remains

So since there are no wrong answers there can be no right ones either. Therefore the haka must indeed be unethical as ethics presuppose a difference between right and wrong.

This ambiguity of the Haka must also mean there is no difference in status between any of its forms or indeed it's non-performance, and this in turn must mean that it doesn't matter whether it's performed or not.

Don't get the beef with the Haka to be honest....I mean if the Scots can play the bag pipes, Wales can use those flame thrower things (that must be a health and saftey hazard) and Ireland can play 2 anthems and then let their head of state go for dander around the pitch I don't see what the problem is?.....

No, what youve done is change the subject from the haka to ethics and status, an understandable and common diversion.

The haka is an artform aukster- it is what the viewer takes from it. It should be judged on a reality type show called the hakafactor.. It matters to many, but it needs true meaning. Maouris only please. Obviously we can have other national dances within the show. morris dancing, irish river dance, american line stuff, african tribal, jamican bob marley style, erm it goes on really

rodders wrote:Don't get the beef with the Haka to be honest....I mean if the Scots can play the bag pipes, Wales can use those flame thrower things (that must be a health and saftey hazard) and Ireland can play 2 anthems and then let their head of state go for dander around the pitch I don't see what the problem is?.....

On saturday night they only did Irish anthem (the shoulder to shoulder one) even though the guy who was singing stuffed it up so it was probably better that he didnt stuff up two anthems.

Dirty tricks from NZ Laurie ...how are we supposed to compete when you get a guy who's that monkeyed on the to sing our anthem man...poor show sir, poor show

Us english invented this game- maybe we should reference its true origins before England games- just a thought like!! or maybe that would seem like we are self important c...s to the rest of the world?

do you feel the bad weather on the horizon aucks?

rodders wrote:Dirty tricks from NZ Laurie ...how are we supposed to compete when you get a guy who's that monkeyed on the to sing our anthem man...poor show sir, poor show

someone told me he was Irish, Pizzed as chook he was.

mystir
The trick with bad weather is to be prepared, Mystir.

Actually when it comes to origins New Zealand isnt much older than rugby.

mystiroakey wrote:Us english invented this game- maybe we should reference its true origins before England games- just a thought like!! or maybe that would seem like we are self important c...s to the rest of the world?

Seems? I know not seems to paraphrase the great man

I like the Kapa o Pango variation better. Ka Mate is bland in comparison. Still, if there was a choice of Ka Mate or no haka, then Ka Mate wins everytime

mystiroakey wrote:The haka is an artform aukster- it is what the viewer takes from it. It should be judged on a reality type show called the hakafactor.. It matters to many, but it needs true meaning. Maouris only please. Obviously we can have other national dances within the show. morris dancing, irish river dance, american line stuff, african tribal, jamican bob marley style, erm it goes on really

It is all right having all these other type of dancing at the same time as the HAKA, but you would still have to wait untill the HAKA had finshed before you ( the other type of dance/es) could perform their type of dance.

But this is the big question would the All Blacks stand like shop dummies in respect of the oposing team.ermmmmmm. that remains to be seen.

Would the All Blacks even complain at other cultures dance, undermining their own HAKA?

No i think it is time to ditch the HAKA altogether.

And yes if they ban the HAKA i like many others will miss it.

But it truly belongs in the past, just like the pyramids. The HAKA belongs to a by gone age.

I think it is a bit hypocrytical to believe a part of NZ maori history, culture and tradition must belong in a bygone era, when the same pepole still value the monarchy.