The All Blacks, the international rugby union team of New Zealand, performs a haka, a Māori traditional dance, as a pre-game ritual before international matches.
The eye-rolling, tongue-flicking haka war dance has been made famous by the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team not only in the sporting world but in popular culture as well.
Over the years, the All Blacks have most commonly performed the haka "Ka Mate". In the early decades of international rugby, they sometimes performed other haka, some of which were composed for specific tours.
The haka, whilst normally enjoyed by spectators, has been criticised as an unsporting attempt to intimidate the opposition before the match begins. However, most teams accept that the Haka is a legitimate part of rugby's heritage and face up to the All Blacks during its performance, with both teams standing about 10 metres apart
The Haka as an Intellectual Property and a Symbol of Cultural Heritage
In Feburary 2009, the haka was officially handed back to a Maori tribe to stop it being ripped off by Hollywood directors and international advertising campaigns. The New Zealand government assigned intellectual property rights in the traditional Maori haka, the Ka Mate, to Ngati Toa, a North Island tribal group.
The new agreement is largely symbolic, but it is considered immensely significant by Maori leaders. "Ngati Toa's primary objective is to prevent the misappropriation and culturally inappropriate use of the Ka Mate haka," the official settlement letter read. The tribe has been battling for a decade to stop commercial exploitation of the haka, saying its use in film and television has been culturally insensitive and has undermined its traditional significance.
The tribe had tried to trademark the Ka Mate several times over the past decade to limit commercial abuse but has failed, largely because of concerns it might charge the All Blacks for performing it.
John Key, New Zealand's Prime Minister added, "They are our national sports team and they have had the rendition of Ka Mate for a long time ... There will neither be any restrictions on them in terms of their use or rendition of Ka Mate, nor any charge for doing so," he added.
The agreement was a special provision in a NZ$121m (£44m) compensation package awarded to eight tribes over land and human rights abuses dating back 160 years.
Kiwis Performed Haka in Torrential Rain of Hong Kong Sevens
On 30 March 2014, the boys from New Zealand’s All Blacks Sevens team defended their world series sevens rugby crown in a decisive tournament win in Hong Kong, outclassing England 26-7. It was however, their heart-stopping performance after the match that attracted even more attention.
Led by All Blacks Sevens team captain DJ Forbes, the players took off their shirts and performed a traditional war dance in celebration in the pouring rain.
The Haka is usually performed before a standard rugby match to intimidate the opposition. But in Sevens, the Kiwis used it to celebrate a win.
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