"Ka Mate"
The All Blacks are believed to have first performed the "Ka Mate" haka in 1906.
It is said that this Haka was composed by Te Rauparaha of Ngāti Toa to commemorate his escape from death during an incident in 1810. Chased by his enemies he hid in a food-storage pit under the skirt of a woman. He climbed out to find someone standing over him, who, instead of killing Te Rauparaha, turned out to be another chief friendly to him. In relief, Te Rauparaha performed this ancient haka, which had been performed all through Aotearoa for centuries (Ko Nga Moteatea, 1853). The story of Te Rauparaha was merely woven into several older stories about this haka.
Read more about this topic: Haka (sports)
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