# Australian rugby chant term?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-rugby-chant-term/51285>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 22, 2001, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-rugby-chant-term/51285 "2001-01-22T17:28:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-rugby-chant-term/51285/1 "2001-01-22T17:28:37Z")

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I did not actually see this, myself. Here is my interpretation of what someone told me.

While he was watching the Australian All-Blacks get ready for the game, they went thru some exercise doing a chant. The way he described the exercise, it sounded sorta like the Maori warriors psych-out routine, where they stamp around and such.

Anyway, the announcer said (according to him), “Now [some player] is leading the and “some player” is leading the ???”

So what was he leading? My co-worker thought it started with an “h” and apparently be roughly synonymous with “chant” or “war cry.” It could be some English, Australian, Aboriginal, or even Maori word.

Any ideas???

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**Author:** ![messiah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3e96dc/32.png) [@messiah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/messiah)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-rugby-chant-term/51285/2 "2001-01-22T17:58:53Z")

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They were probably doing the “huka”.  
The allblacks are not Australian but are New Zealanders (Kiwis)  
The huka is a traditional maori song/dance, take a look at this site for more details

[http://nzrugby.co.nz/history/history\_haka.html](http://nzrugby.co.nz/history/history_haka.html)

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-rugby-chant-term/51285/3 "2001-01-22T19:02:22Z")

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That’s haka, **messiah** , but that’s a good link.

And **Mjollnir** , the Kiwis would probably stone you for suggesting the All-Blacks were _Australian_, of all things. 😉 That’s like telling a Bostonite you thought the Red Sox were from New York.

Hakas are a traditional Maori form of greeting or sometimes challenge; I once saw a group of Maori reggae fans greet Toots and the Maytals at the Wellington airport by performing one.

It’s a very peculiar custom. Try to imagine a U.S. NFL team (the players) doing an Apache war dance before every game.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-rugby-chant-term/51285/4 "2001-01-22T19:33:22Z")

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Yeah, that’s a big faux pas. My co-worker thought they were Aussies, and I took him at his word.