For decades, the All Blacks only performed their haka, Ka Mate, while playing overseas.

The All Blacks perform the haka abroad in 1932.

In 1987, they brought the haka home.

White words on a black textured background.

Wayne “Buck” Shelford and Hika Reid not only led its performance in home test matches. They also gave a precision and intensity to the haka, which had been largely absent before.

At the peak of his fitness, Buck Shelford leads the haka for the All Blacks against Argentina match in Dunedin in 1989.
The All Blacks perform the haka while England players look on before 1995 Rugby World Cup semifinal at Newlands.
Kees Meeuws at the head of the All Black haka prior to the NZ v Australia Bledisloe Cup test in Wellington in July, 2004.
France's Dimitri Szarzewski, left, Sebastien Chabal and Imanol Harinordoquy face the All Blacks as they perform their pre-match Haka before the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal rugby match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, October 6, 2007.
Wales v New Zealand in November, 2008, at the Millennium Stadium. Jonathan Kaplan tries to get the All Blacks to stop the stand off after the haka.
The All Blacks perform the haka while England players look on before 1995 Rugby World Cup semifinal at Newlands.
Kees Meeuws at the head of the All Black haka prior to the NZ v Australia Bledisloe Cup test in Wellington in July, 2004.
France's Dimitri Szarzewski, left, Sebastien Chabal and Imanol Harinordoquy face the All Blacks as they perform their pre-match Haka before the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal rugby match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, October 6, 2007.
Wales v New Zealand in November, 2008, at the Millennium Stadium. Jonathan Kaplan tries to get the All Blacks to stop the stand off after the haka.
Kees Meeuws of the All Blacks performs the haka at the start of the Rugby World Cup Pool D match between New Zealand and Canada at Telstra Dome October 17, 2003 in Melbourne, Australia.

Ka Mate was created by Ngāti Toa chief Te Rauparaha.

According to Māori oral history, Te Rauparaha hid from his pursuers from a rival iwi. He muttered “Ka mate! Ka mate!” under his breath (Will I die!) and “Ka ora! Ka ora!” (or will I live!). After his pursuers left, Te Rauparaha burst forth in joy.

White text on a black textured background.
Ka Mate haka words in Māori.
Ka Mate haka words in English
All Black halfback Piri Weepu leads the haka before the New Zealand and France 2011 Rugby World Cup final match at Eden Park in Auckland.
All Black captain Kieran Read leads the haka during the International Test match between the New Zealand All Blacks and Wales at Forsyth Barr Stadium on June 25, 2016 in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Aaron Smith of the All Blacks performs the haka during The Rugby Championship Bledisloe Cup match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the Australia Wallabies at Forsyth Barr Stadium on August 26, 2017 in Dunedin, New Zealand.
October 22, 2016: The All Blacks perform the haka prior to the Bledisloe Cup Rugby Championship match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the Australia Wallabies at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand.
All Black halfback Piri Weepu leads the haka before the New Zealand and France 2011 Rugby World Cup final match at Eden Park in Auckland.
All Black captain Kieran Read leads the haka during the International Test match between the New Zealand All Blacks and Wales at Forsyth Barr Stadium on June 25, 2016 in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Aaron Smith of the All Blacks performs the haka during The Rugby Championship Bledisloe Cup match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the Australia Wallabies at Forsyth Barr Stadium on August 26, 2017 in Dunedin, New Zealand.
October 22, 2016: The All Blacks perform the haka prior to the Bledisloe Cup Rugby Championship match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the Australia Wallabies at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand.
TJ Perenara of New Zealand All Blacks (rear) leads the haka prior to the international friendly between Ireland and New Zealand at Aviva Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Dublin, Ireland.

In August 2005, before a test match against South Africa in Dunedin, the All Blacks performed Kapa o Pango for the first time.

The All Blacks perform the Kapa o Pango haka before kickoff against South Africa in the Rugby Tri Nations test in Wellington.
Piri Weepu leads the Kapa O Pango haka in Tri Nations match against South Africa in 2005.
The All Blacks take on the Wallabies at Jade stadium, Christchurch in the Bledisloe Cup, July 2006.
Piri Weepu leads the Kapa O Pango haka in Tri Nations match against South Africa in 2005.
The All Blacks take on the Wallabies at Jade stadium, Christchurch in the Bledisloe Cup, July 2006.

Kapa o Pango can be translated simply as ‘Team in Black’.

All Blacks perform the haka before the Wales v New Zealand at Millennium Stadium.
Kapa o Pango haka words in Māori.
Ka Mate haka words in English.

The All Blacks haka attracts a range of responses.

November 22, 1997: Richard Cockerill of England confronts Norm Hewitt of New Zealand during the Haka before an All Blacks tour match at Old Trafford in Manchester, England.
HAKA - RESPECT
Mathieu Bastareaud of France stands and faces the haka during the International Test match between the New Zealand All Blacks and France at Westpac Stadium on June 16, 2018 in Wellington, New Zealand.
HAKA - AGGRESSION
Norm Hewitt and Richard Cockerill go head to head.
HAKA - INDIFFERENCE
The Italian team ignores the All Black haka before the match played between Italy and New Zealand at Stade De Veldrome in Marseilles, France, as part of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
HAKA - CHALLENGE
England for V for Victory formation in response to the All Blacks haka during the 2019 Rudgy World Cup semi-final, which New Zealand lost.
Mathieu Bastareaud of France stands and faces the haka during the International Test match between the New Zealand All Blacks and France at Westpac Stadium on June 16, 2018 in Wellington, New Zealand.
Norm Hewitt and Richard Cockerill go head to head.
The Italian team ignores the All Black haka before the match played between Italy and New Zealand at Stade De Veldrome in Marseilles, France, as part of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
England for V for Victory formation in response to the All Blacks haka during the 2019 Rudgy World Cup semi-final, which New Zealand lost.

The 2019 Rugby World Cup has seen a wide range of reactions to the haka. But New Zealanders should be proud of it and proud of the All Blacks.

New Zealand's Rieko Ioane, Codie Taylor, and Kieran Read perform the haka Rugby World Cup 2019, New Zealand All Blacks v Canada at Oita Stadium, Oita, Japan on 2nd October 2019.
The All Blacks perform the haka while South African players look on before the 1995 Rugby World Cup final at Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg.

ANIMATION Aaron Wood

DESIGN Kathryn George

DEVELOPMENT Sungmi Kim

EDITOR John Hartevelt

More on the All Blacks and the RWC
RWC Power Rankings
RWC Power Rankings
The Offload
Rugby’s lethal attacking weapon
Where RWC All Blacks went to school
Where RWC All Blacks went to school
The trouble with the tackle
The trouble with the tackle
Japan returned the smile to rugby’s face
Japan returned the smile to rugby’s face
RWC 2019 All Blacks most criticised in history
RWC 2019 ABs most criticised in history
TopCreated with Shorthand, the visual storytelling platform