New Zealand’s rugby team, the All Blacks, performs the haka before matches. This traditional dance comes from Māori people. They have performed it for hundreds of years. A New Zealand rugby team first performed it in Australia in 1884.
One haka uses a poem about life, death and staying strong. The team first performed a newer haka in 2005.
Fiji, Samoa and Tonga also have traditional dances before rugby matches. Players move and call out together. Rules control where teams can stand during these dances. The other team cannot cross the middle line when only one team performs. Teams can pay money if they break the rules.
