GamingZion Compiles a List of the Best Haka Dances

Check out some of the best Haka dances by the New Zealand national rugby team.

New Zealand is known for many great things; the bird Kea, having the Southernmost capital (Wellington), Blue Lake, the Maori and of course the All Blacks, which perform some of the best Haka dances. “The Dance of War” or “Haka” as it’s more commonly known is a well-known dance routine that is regularly performed by the New Zealand national team before they go out and play an opposing side. People and punters like that bet on sports in New Zealand often regard the Haka as important as the game of rugby itself.

• Haka was started in 1905 by the New Zealand national rugby team
• The dance routine is intended to intimidate the opponents
• The Haka is known at times to spark a debate in the sporting world

The point of the Haka dance is to intimidate the other side by shouting out and stomping on the ground. This is a way for them to convey their strength and power right before they start a battle. The iconic performance was started way back in 1905 by the All Blacks and today it is perhaps one of the most eye-catching moments in the sport.

Wales vs New Zealand 2008

When Wales faced New Zealand at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium in 2008, a great deal of controversy ensued. The All Blacks went about their usual ritual and performed one of the best Haka dances up to that time. But the reason why the event stirred up massive scrutiny was due to the fact that the Wales players kept their ground and stared down at the All Blacks, who actually remained in their place.

 Until the referee Jonathan Kaplan interfered, as they had a game to play, no one moved from their fixed position. Wales went on to lead the in the first half 9-6, however it seemed that the best Haka dance gave the All Blacks more energy as the game ended 29-9 in favour of New Zealand.

Australia va New Zealand 1991

For the 1991 World Cup, the All Blacks’ Haka was in full swing right before the semi-final game against Australia. The iconic wing/full back David Campese, instead of observing some of the best Haka dance moves along with his teammates, he rather focused on perfecting his kicking shots. This proved to work in the Aussie’s favour, as they went on to win the match. This was also gambling news then, as many punters favoured the All Blacks to win the encounter.

Ireland vs New Zealand 1989

In 1989, the All Blacks performed the standard Haka dance against the Irish for the New Zealand tour of Wales. The opposing teams would usually stand in their own halves ignoring the Haka, a practice that was accepted then. But the Irish had a different method in dealing with the best Haka dances. During the performance, they got as close as possible to the All Blacks, all lined up next to each other, expressing their defiance and courage. After the Haka, all the Irish players raised their hands to the sky, what can be interpreted as their own dance routine.

New Zealand World Cup Final 2011

Perhaps one of the best Haka dances, if not the best, was performed right before New Zealand took on France in the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The All Blacks were the hosts, so they received a great deal of support from their crowd. The match that ensued saw them win 8-7 against the French. This was also the smallest difference win out of all the Rugby World Cup Finals. Many mobile betting sites favoured All Blacks to win, and they did in style.

However, there was a small degree of controversy involved. The International Rugby Board has a rule on how close teams can get to the Haka performance, and the French decided to ignore it. They got quite close in efforts to try and “stand up” to the dance, for which they were subsequently fined GBP 2,500 for breaching the rules. The game turned out to be great, but a shame that they put up a fight and lost by a single point in the end.