Secret's out: how the All Blacks decide which haka to perform
All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith has revealed how the team decides which haka they will perform before each test match.
Viewers and fans have often speculated as to why the traditional Ka Mate haka is performed over its newer counterpart Kapa O Pango.
Some say the more personalised Kapa O Pango is reserved for more highly-respected opponents while others claim the reverse is true and that Ka Mate is the preferred choice for the side’s biggest occasions.
However, Smith has blown those theories out of the water, revealing a starkly simple decision-making process for the haka on the Rugby Bricks podcast.
“It’s not as built up as people think. Obviously the haka is very special to the All Blacks but it’s not our priority,” he said as part of a lengthy interview.
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“The captain selects it, selects who to lead it. As we run out (to the Captain’s Run) he’ll say what haka we’re gonna do, ‘this week we’re gonna do Kapa O Pango’… or Ka Mate, it’s not in a meeting or anything, it’s just said then. And TJ [Perenara] goes around and says where you’re gonna stand.”
And it turns out there is one surefire way to predict when that captain will opt for the traditional Ka Mate haka.
“If new guys come in we practice it with them. So if we’re playing a first test and it’s some guy’s first game we’re not gonna do Kapa O Pango because we don’t need him scared about playing and scared of doing the haka, because it can be quite overwhelming.
“New Zealanders have all done Ka Mate when they’re drunk or as a kid… we’ve all done it at a party… we all know Ka Mate, but Kapa O Pango’s a whole other kettle of fish.”
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That story largely checks out with Ka Mate performed every time a player has debuted in the side for the past two years, except for one occasion when Angus Ta’avao made his first appearance in black.
The haka has long been a controversial part of All Blacks culture with critics claiming it is overused, provides an unfair advantage, and has been commercialised by New Zealand Rugby.
Irish rugby writer Ewan McKenna listed all three of those factors in a column for Pundit Arena in September.
MacKenna said the haka had “been ruthlessly exploited and commercialised and ultimately cheapened.
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“There’s a practical reason why the haka shouldn’t happen as, while it provides a psychological edge through self-inspiration and via an attempt at opponent intimidation, it also provides a small physical edge as others are forced to stand still and go briefly cold.”
The haka even has local objectors with former All Black Joe Karam believing it should be spared for special occasions.
“It’s become a PR, branding, money-making exercise as opposed to something which could add much more value if it was treated respectfully for particular occasions which could be the last game of a tour or perhaps the first game of the year or whatever it might be.
“Now the focus of the All Blacks appears to almost be more on the haka; they must spend hours and hours practising.”
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However, Smith’s revelations put to bed the idea that the All Blacks spend too much time focusing on the haka.
“We do a lot of work at it early in the season and then we’re like ‘cool, we got this’. And you never forget it.”
Indeed, once the international season is underway, it is only rehearsed a single time before each test match and it’s not even a full-noise version – it’s actions only – as the players can get a little too pumped up if they perform it at 100 per cent.
“We do it at captain’s run… so it’s not like you go into a game and haven’t done it since last Saturday.
“Captain’s run day you practice everything you would do, pretty much, for a game. So warm-up, we’d go out, you’d have your own time, come do the haka, go straight into captain’s run, get a kick-off, exit.”
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and is republished with permission.
Plenty of critics have had their say on the haka in the past:
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments