New Zealand All Blacks Rugby

Here are some real men. I think it would be very interesting to see an NFL team do something similar. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClQymYiHk9s&list=PL9047EB45909DBB37

Is that the cheering squad or the players?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haka_%28sports%29

The Haka is a traditional Maori dance from New Zealand. There are thousands of Haka that are performed by various tribes and cultural groups throughout New Zealand. The best known Haka of them all is called "Ka Mate". It has been performed by countless New Zealand teams both locally and internationally. It is normally performed immediately prior to the event that is to take place: e.g. sports matches, conferences, VIP functions, hui, etc

It was adopted by the New Zealand national rugby union team and has been performed by this team at every local and international match since 1905.[1] Over the years they have most commonly performed the haka "Ka Mate". In the early decades of international rugby, they sometimes performed other haka,[2] some of which were composed for specific tours. Since 2005 they have occasionally performed a new haka, "Kapa o Pango". The performance of the haka has been called "the greatest ritual in world sport."[3]

The haka performed against England on 1 December 2012 when the All Blacks aimed to extend their unbeaten run of 20 matches began 'E nga maramara'. The haka originated in New Zealand but the year is still unknown, it was made global in 1900 when it was first performed by the New Zealand rugby team during the pre-game. Haka are also performed by some other New Zealand national teams, such as the Kiwis (rugby league), the Tall Blacks (men's basketball), the Ice Blacks (men's ice hockey) and Lacrosse team[4] – as well as some non-New Zealand sports teams.[5]

That was the players. Watching the opposing teams watch is quite amusing.

It was also featured in the movie Forever Strong

Also in Invictus.

Check out this plane that got their team colors as a badass paint job:

they weren't all black... in fact, they were mostly white...

and if an NFL team did that, every player would get a huge fine for unsportsmanlike conduct, there would be a criminal investigation for terroristic threats, congress would pass some resolutions after having a bunch of the players appear before a committee that's chaired by someone looking to get reelected, and the NFL would have to put out PSA's about sportsmanship and how it's totally not cool to make the other team feel bad about themselves..

Talk about intimidating!! That is one of the coolest things I have ever seen before a sporting event ever. Those guys look like some bad ass athletes as well.

I had the privilege of playing their B team while filling in for the West Chester (NY) Rugby club many moons ago. My opponent and I switched shirts. Favorite shirt ever. We actually won, too! The A team lost. Great bunch of guys.

The amazing thing about that video is the French didn't put up the white flag as soon as it was over.

1988RedT2 wrote: Is that the cheering squad or the players?

I guarantee that if you were present you would not have the balls to say that out loud.

I have seen it in person and it is very intimidating.

The Haka dates back to when the native Maoris used it to scare off, (successfully) enemy tribes before a war.

Maoris are arguable the toughest people I have ever met, I have some amazing stories from when I was a cop.

One 18 year old Maori took 8 cops to task and was only subdued when he decided he didn't want to throw a punch, he shrugged us off like flies.

novaderrik wrote: they weren't all black... in fact, they were mostly white... and if an NFL team did that, every player would get a huge fine for unsportsmanlike conduct, there would be a criminal investigation for terroristic threats, congress would pass some resolutions after having a bunch of the players appear before a committee that's chaired by someone looking to get reelected, and the NFL would have to put out PSA's about sportsmanship and how it's totally not cool to make the other team feel bad about themselves..

Ah, bullE36 M3. The University of Hawaii football team does the Haka, and it's very well received. My college rugby team just formed a circle and chanted "Kill, Kill, Kill...." for a minute before the game. Only got crap for it from one ref.

E36 M3-talking the Haka indicates a death wish.

Makes me happy that I'm not the only rugger who is also into doing questionable things with cars and talking about it on the internets.
First match of the season tomorrow, woooooooooo!

Related to Teh E36 M3's story, the female counterparts to my college team have a pregame chant that starts with "Ruck, Maul, Pillage and Burn, Ruck, Maul Pillage and Burn, EAT THE BABIES" and ramps up from there.

cwh wrote: Here are some real men. I think it would be very interesting to see an NFL team do something similar. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClQymYiHk9s&list=PL9047EB45909DBB37

I've always liked this one better. It looks like a the rugby match will be canceled for a brawl.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eGCsEQ15L4
(As you can tell, Lots of polynesian nations would do that before battle.)

This one really shows the use of the tounge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW6EQNBoAiw
To us that seems odd, but to them it was "You are so weak and slow that I will display the vulnerable parts of my body. You have no way to harm me."

To get the full effect, image facing off against someone wearing a necklace made of human hair with a carved tounge-like pendant made of whale bone or tooth:
http://www.new-guinea-tribal-art.com/wp/index.php/2011/08/15/hawaiian-pendant/
http://www.hawaiialive.org/realms.php?sub=Wao+Lani&treasure=350&offset=0

JoeyM wrote: I've always liked this one better. It looks like a the rugby match will be canceled for a brawl. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eGCsEQ15L4

Goosebumps and tingles, never mind how many times I've seen that clip.
Or that I've watched several haka clips already today.

SnowMongoose wrote: "Ruck, Maul, Pillage and Burn, Ruck, Maul Pillage and Burn, EAT THE BABIES" and ramps up from there.

While in the USMC we had a salty old SSGT get in trouble for running us around the Army base at my MOS school... We were doubletiming to...... " We're going Rape, Kill, Pillage and Burn, Rape kill pillage and Burn... Eat the babies..."

Some Army Officer literally stopped our little PT session and took him to task....

The only response he had.. which I learned later is the correct and approved response... He told the Brass he needed to train the boys properly otherwise they would berkeley it up and burn E36 M3 first... leaving little to rape and pillage...

God I miss the USMC some days...

I won't get into to much of the crazy stuff from the rugby days... But we had one coach who was all about these games of "get in their head" By doing things like playing grabass at the bottom of a pile... Or... the best... If you felt the need to puke... Make sure you get it all over yourself... opponents hate that... and it gives you an advantage.... The stuff he came up with... Good Lord....

Teh E36 M3 wrote:

novaderrik wrote: they weren't all black... in fact, they were mostly white... and if an NFL team did that, every player would get a huge fine for unsportsmanlike conduct, there would be a criminal investigation for terroristic threats, congress would pass some resolutions after having a bunch of the players appear before a committee that's chaired by someone looking to get reelected, and the NFL would have to put out PSA's about sportsmanship and how it's totally not cool to make the other team feel bad about themselves..

Ah, bullE36 M3. The University of Hawaii football team does the Haka, and it's very well received. My college rugby team just formed a circle and chanted "Kill, Kill, Kill...." for a minute before the game. Only got crap for it from one ref.

is the University of Hawaii an expansion team in the NFL this year?

keep in mind that the NFL is cracking down on players for spiking the football after a touchdown because it's "unsportsmanlike"..

Man I have to tell you I don't understand the sport one bit, but I would love to be there at any of these matches just to say I was there. These guys look like total bad asses. To think most Americans think NFL players are tough, not compared to these guys. How do I learn more about the sport? Any way to watch the matches online?

Chris, the first thing to figure out if you want to watch, union or league.

One is for tough guys, the other is for those guys that make you leave the country because they looked at you with that glare.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_rugby_league_and_rugby_union

A big difference in gameplay between the two games is that rugby league has shed from its laws several opportunities for possession to be contested that rugby union has retained: contesting the ball after the tackle, on the ground in rucks and through mauls.[29] When the ball goes into touch, possession in rugby union is contested through a line-out, while in rugby league a scrum restarts play. The lesser focus on contesting possession means there are fewer stoppages of play in rugby league,[30] with the ball typically in play for 50 out of the 80 minutes compared to around 35 for professional rugby union.[31] As the ball is in play more and there are fewer players (13 compared to 15) to cover the field it has been implied that rugby league is the more physically demanding sport.[32][33]

ronholm wrote:

By doing things like playing grabass at the bottom of a pile... Or... the best... If you felt the need to puke... Make sure you get it all over yourself... opponents hate that... and it gives you an advantage....

Hah, that's hilarious! As a winger I stayed as far away from the scrum as possible.

I wish I was young and could play rugby again,

a few moments caught

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cma8VGf6abw

BTW, notice all the padding cause these guys are scared to get hurt and lose a payday too. (Tongue in cheek avatar here)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a4Hfu7j8VA

Rugby 101
Similar to many rugby forwards, this isn't pretty but gets the job done.

Rules to Rugby
Less comprehensive/accurate, much prettier.

Rugby in one breath: Run forward, pass back, murder the guy with the ball.

I've never tried to watch online but recently 'they' have been good about televising the Eagles (USA Rugby) matches...
bonus points for three (!) of their current props hailing from my club
(Chuckanut Bay RFC, Go Geoducks!)

Any bar that shows sports will likely have the right channels, any bar with a UK theme it's almost a sure thing .