This haka contains
quotes from ancient haka and stories
to recall the Black Ferns'
earth-shaking sexual energy and cosmic
origins, their mastery of defence and
penetrating attack, their unity of
purpose and their ultimate aim of
creating unity and friendships with
the other team and supporters.
Kaea: Ko nga Mamaku o Aotearoa
Kia mau
Katoa:
Hi
Torona titaha
A uhia mai
Ko wai nga hine? Ko wai nga hine?
Ko nga Mamaku e ngunguru!
Hī au! au! Aue ha!
Leader:
Black Ferns of NZ
Be ready
Team:
We rise up
Hands on hips
Spread the
word.
Who are these
women? Who are these
women?
The
Black Ferns are rumbling!
Rising up, this is us! Yes indeed!
Mamaku - The mamaku (Cyathea medullaris) is
New Zealand's
tallest tree fern. Its young fronds are black rather
than the brown colour of other ferns.
Ngunguru
This is a reference to the ancient haka Rūaumoko. Ko
Rūaumoko e ngunguru nei!
Hi Au! Au!
Auē ha!
This haka highlights the awesome creative power of
the human sexual act, mysteriously beyond human
control, like the divine creative force of the
earthquakes that create new landforms.
This line implies that this team will unleash the
same primal energy in their game.
Ko
Hine-ahu-one,
Ko Hine-ti-tama
Ko Hine-nui-te-pō
Ki te whaiao, ki te ao marama e
Hi a haha!
Mauri ki te rangi
Me te whenua
Nga kapua whakapipi
Ma nga maunga titia e
Hi a haha!
From
the first woman,
from the first woman's daughter,
from the goddess of death,
to the world of light and
understanding
We rise indeed! Our
life force is from the heavens
and the land
from the sheltering clouds
and the sky-piercing mountains
We rise indeed!
Hine-ahu-one
was molded from clay by Tane, the first man.
Their daughter, the dawn-maiden, eventually
became the sundown-woman who receives the
spirits of humans when they die.
Nga kapua whakapipi is a reference to a
300-year-old Tuwharetoa proverb, reminding the
opposing team the Black Ferns are strong on
cover defence as well as piercing attacks.
Whakamarotia
atu, ano ka whakahoki mai ana ki te
kapua whakapipi. Stretch
out, but return again
there to the sheltering cloud.
It was quoted by Tamamutu, a chief at Motutere
(on the shore of Lake Taupo) about 1720 AD. Two
Tuwharetoa chiefs had been killed at Waitahanui
by raiders from Whanganui. Tamamutu embarked
with a war-party on a large canoe and paddled
swiftly towards Waitahanui. While discussing the
plan of campaign against the Whanganui taua,
Tamamutu quoted this proverb, urging the
warriors to be cautious and guard their rear.
JPS
He
tia, he tia
Te Moana nui-a-Kiwa
Mai nga topito
Ki nga moutere O te ao whanui e.
Hi a haha!
Tūmai ra koe
Te mana wahine
Te whare tangata
Nga Mamaku o Aotearoa
He tia! He tia!
He ranga! He ranga!
We
vigorously, vigorously paddle
the Pacific Ocean
from the ends of
New Zealand
to the islands of the whole
wide world.
We rise indeed!
You are standing tall with
the prestige of womenwho
are
the house of
humankind.
The Black Ferns of New Zealand.
A strong stroke! A strong stroke! A
long stroke! A long stroke!
He tia, he tia! He ranga, he ranga!
calls to mind the ancient paddling chant Kura
Tīwaka Taua, reminding listeners that
the team are descended from the crews of
many ancestral voyaging waka, and are going
to cooperate, just as those crews did, this
time to move the ball strongly in the
forwards and for long distances in the
backs.
Tena ra, e
tama, tu ake ki runga
ra Now
then, my child, take your stand Ki
te hautu i ohou waka, i
a Horouta, To
urge on your vessels Horouta, Takitimu,
e takoto nei!
Takitimu,
drawn up here! He
tia! He tia! He
tia!
A strong
stroke! A strong stroke! He
ranga! He ranga! He
ranga!
A long
stroke! A long stroke!
Tumai ra koe - you
stand tall with the prestige of women.
This is addressed to the other team. Mana
can only be bestowed on others, not on
yourselves.
Whare Tangata Ko te wahine te whare tangata, ā he mea
whakanui rātou i tōna mana whakawhānau
oranga. Women
are the house of humanity, and they are
venerated for creating life.
Turuki! Turiki!... This is the
ritual finish from Toia
Toia Mai Rā, a chant that creates
enthusiam for a difficult and complex
project by using the metaphor of olden
days waka-building, when dozens had to
work together to fell a giant tree, haul
it down out of the forest, then hollow
and shape it with adzes.
Haumi ē! Hui ē! Taiki ē!
Rightfully, this should be shouted by
both teams, as well as the spectators.
The purpose of team sports it to bring
individuals and small groups together
and bind them as one with shared values,
and thus engender peace, prosperity and
harmony in their everyday lives.
... and
check out the Ferns' former haka Ka
Panapana
