New Zealand’s rugby team, the All Blacks, performs a haka before games. This traditional dance comes from the Maori people. They have performed it for hundreds of years. A New Zealand rugby team first performed it in 1884.
One haka, Ka Mate, is about life, death, and staying strong in hard times. Today, the All Blacks more often perform Kapa o Pango. They first performed this haka in 2005.
Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga also have their own dances before games. Rugby has rules for these moments. The other team cannot cross the line across the middle of the field. Teams can pay money as punishment if they break the rules.
