Learn the Haka on All Blacks Hallowed Turf

Watching the All Blacks perform the haka before a match is a goosebumps moment for many sports fans around the world. Now there’s the opportunity for visitors to Auckland’s Eden Park to step onto the field and learn the Haka themselves. Haka at the Park is a new experience for people keen to learn the famous haka pre-match ritual and to take a close-up look at New Zealand’s most famous sports ground.

With a Māori warrior guide, visitors are given a behind-the-scenes tour of the iconic Eden Park stadium before stepping onto the hallowed turf to learn how to perform their own haka. The thrill of walking in the footsteps of iconic sporting heroes and performing on the same field played on by the mighty All Blacks has already captured the imagination of international visitors and is proving to be a popular Auckland experience. A Māori warrior guide provides insight into Eden Park’s fascinating 100+ year history before visitors witness the mana (power) of the haka just as it’s performed on game day at Eden Park. With that inspiration, people can then channel their own inner mana and take part in an interactive haka workshop. The authentic Māori cultural experience has been developed in partnership with Te Wehi Haka, a new performing arts troupe managed by Tāpeta and Annette Wehi – one of New Zealand’s top kapa haka teams. To top off Haka at the Park, a light afternoon tea is provided where there’s an opportunity to have photos taken with traditional Māori warriors. Eden Park is currently piloting Haka at the Park, with tours available on December 15 and January 5. Private group bookings are also available and with the popularity of the tours so far, Eden Park is looking at permanent arrangements for 2019. The price is $149 NZD (approx. $136 Cdn). For more information or to book, please visit:

---

About The Haka

The All Blacks’ haka has a proud history and is one of the most feared and respected pre-match rituals in the world. From the more traditional Ka mate, Ka mate – first performed before an international rugby fixture by the New Zealand Native Team in 1888 – to the recently composed Kapa o Pango, the haka plays an integral role in physically and mentally preparing the All Blacks teams for battle. The haka is an ancient posture dance of the New Zealand Māori that was traditionally used to prepare a war party for conflict. It was performed either on the battlefield prior to engagement with the enemy, or as the war party was leaving their own village en route to a battle. Attached is a Haka at the Park image. If you would like higher resolution, please let me know.