The HAKA and Tucanes in World Rugby
Those that take an interest in Rugby Union will undoubtedly follow the major events, with respect to Rugby, across the World. However, at this time, the phrase “the HAKA and Tucanes in World Rugby” will not have a voice. The major event in the Rugby Union World is the World Rugby Union World Cup. This event takes place every 4 years and the 2015 World Rugby Union Championship (WRUC) final is to take place between New Zealand and Australia. Whichever of those two teams wins they will have won the WRUC three times. Most Rugby Union followers will have seen the HAKA. This is a challenge carried out by the New Zealand team to its opponents before every match that New Zealand play. This post titled “The HAKA and Tucanes in World Rugby” is to promote the sport, in Colombia, by grabbing the attention of the sports mad Colombians.
The HAKA and Tucanes in World Rugby. The HAKA Challenge
The HAKA originated as a traditional ancestral war cry or challenge made by the Maori’s to their enemies, the Maori’s being the indigenous people of New Zealand. It is an aggressive series of postures performed by the New Zealand team, with threatening movements and stamping of the feet with a rhythmic and screamed accompaniment. The performing of the HAKA began in the 1888/1889 tour but, without the media coverage of today, was not as well known as it is today. The New Zealand team introduced the HAKA into the ritual made before each game in 1905. Then HAKA, today, is widely looked forward to across the World even by those who have no interest in the game itself.
The HAKA and Tucanes in World Rugby. Relevance to Colombia
Should you get this far in reading this post you will be wondering if I am mad and that I have made an error in writing as the subject “The HAKA and Tucanes in World Rugby”. You may be thinking what he meant to write was “The HAKA and New Zealand in World Rugby”. However, I hope you have time to read onwards.
Colombia is a nation that is football mad. This can be seen when the Colombian National team has a game scheduled at which point the number of Colombian Football Shirts sold soars and each road roundabout has the latest National Football Shirt strung out, in their hundreds, for sale to passing people.
My experiences, of the passion for football in Colombia, has been over a period of over 20 years. I am a Liverpool Football Club supporter and I was happy to find that there is are Liverpool Supporters Clubs across Colombia. However, I am also a keen follower of Rugby Union (RU), having played for my school and Chester RU club. Accordingly, I became interested in finding out if there was any growing interest in Rugby within Colombia. Three years ago, I asked the question of my extended family in Colombia. The question ” Is there a National Rugby Union Team of Colombia?” Each member of my extended family gave a negative answer. They did not know.
Searching on the internet, I found that there is a National Rugby Union Team of Colombia. The teams head-quarters is located in Medellin and the teams nick name is “The Tucanes”. About a year ago, I watched The Tucanes play on their home ground and it is “work in progress”, that’s for sure. However, having followed the RU Team of England and the RU team of Wales all my adult life when playing in various competitions I have seen two nations take up the sport and now have a high profile in the World of Rugby Union. These two nations are Italy and Argentina ( The Pumas).
The final of the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup between New Zealand and Australia will commence, on the field, with the New Zealand team performing the HAKA. It is my hope that the Colombian Rugby Union team will view the HAKA and then ask themselves the question “How can such a small nation as New Zealand field such a fantastic team”
Rugby has long been considered a ‘gentleman’s game’ and as such some of society’s most influential characters, from Oscar Wilde to Elizabeth Taylor to car bumper stickers, have commented on the game of rugby.
The most well known of all Rugby Quotes
“Rugby is a beastly game played by gentlemen; soccer is a gentleman’s game played by beasts; football is a beastly game played by beasts.” – Henry Blaha
Post published: New Zealand beat Australia. First Country to retain the championship and the first country to win the event three times
NOW WATCH WHAT MAY BE THE BEST HAKA EVER