All Blacks debut new haka

The All Blacks performed a new haka on Saturday before the Tri-Nations Test against South Africa on Saturday.

As the team lined up in the traditional crescent formation for the haka the opposing Springboks were expecting the traditional Ka Mate routine, one of the most recognised sights and sounds in world rugby.

However, the All Blacks had been working on the new pre-match challenge before the fixture, which they won 31-27.

“We have a lot of players from a lot of different cultures and haka is one of the things that brings us together,” captain Tana Umaga told www.allblacks.com.

“We want to add to the team’s tradition of haka with this new one,” said Umaga, who led the haka on Saturday.

The new haka is called Kapa o Pango and was written for the team by Tikanga authority, Derek Lardelli of Ngati Porou.

Its words and actions celebrate the land of New Zealand, the silver fern and its ‘warriors in black.’

Kapa o Pango will be the second haka for the team alongside the traditional Ka Mate.