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The rugby world offers a display of contrasting cultures, from Europe to Africa and down through the Pacific Islands to Australia and New Zealand. As a result, the game is enriched with a number of traditional battle cries.
New Zealand: Ka mate and Kapa O Pango
In the early 19th century chief of the Ngati Toa tribe Te Raupahara narrowly escaped with his life after being pursued by a group of enemy tribesman, and the haka Ka Mate speaks of this event.
Te Raupahara hid in a food storage pit and nervously awaited his fate. After a considerable amount of time had passed Te Raupahara decided to climbed out of his hiding place coming face to face with the “hairy man”, a chief of a tribe he was at peace with.
The haka Kapa O Pango was written for the All Blacks and was first preformed against the Springboks during the 2005 Tri-Nations. The All Blacks use Kapa O Pango on special occasions such as Rugby World Cup knockout matches or Four Nations and Bledisole Cup deciders.
The haka speaks of the players’ connection with New Zealand, the silver fern and the All Blacks.
Samoa: Manu Siva Tau
Manu Samoa – formerly known as Western Samoa – used to perform the traditional Ma’ulu’ulu Moa when on tour prior to 1991. The Ma’ulu’ulu Moa is a form of dance that is commonly preformed by females and incorporates graceful rhythmic movements.
During the 1991 Rugby World Cup Manu Samoa introduced the world to the more aggressive Manu Siva Tau war chant. This has been used pre-match ever since and can be seen in a number of sports outside of rugby.
Tonga: Sipi Tau
The Sipi Tau, performed by the Ikale Tahi, Tonga’s national rugby team, is a form of Kailao. The Tongan war cry is done with finger pointing ferocity and roughly translated reads “I have shed my human characteristics, I drink the ocean and consume the fire, to death or victory my will is fine”.
Fiji: Bole
In 1939 during Fiji’s first ever tour of New Zealand the Fijian side adopted the Cibi to match the All Blacks’ haka. Cibi translated means “a celebration of victory by warriors”, and in times of war the Cibi was performed before or after battle. In 2012 the Cibi was replaced by the Bole, which translates to an acceptance of a challenge.
Madagascar: Diha Menalamba
Rugby union is considered the national sport of Madagascar. The Makis have a passionate fan-base and regularly play in front of crowds in excess of 30,000. They adopted the Diha Menalamba, a tribal dance, as their pre-game ritual in the mid 2000s.
Niue: Takalo
The Takalo is a traditional Niuean war dance which was performed by an individual or group of warriors prior to engaging the enemy. Like the Maori haka the modern day Takalo is used in cultural displays and as a way of welcoming foreign dignities.
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