When Super Rugby returns in New Zealand – and as the nation prepares to shift down in coronavirus lockdown levels it is tempting to hope the first game may happen sooner rather than later - it will be a triumph of collective will and ingenuity over adversity.
It willalso probably be a uniquely Kiwi affair – the five franchises playing each other in high-impact demolition derbies likely to attract the attention of not only the sport-starved rugby world but also those not normally interested in the game.
The television audiences will be huge but the matches are likely to be played in front of near empty stadiums due to the continued threat of viral transmission. The atmosphere at each will be non-existent.
All of which is why it may be the perfect time to mark each occasion with a haka unique to each franchise and which we last saw from the Blues, Chiefs and Crusaders during the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand in 2017.
The Hurricanes and Highlanders declined to do their own three years ago. They may be inclined to do one this year and they may not be. It would clearly be up to the individual franchises and those players who will take the field, but wouldn't it be a joy to see?
It would be a celebration of not only some normality returning to the country, but also a mark of respect for all those who have suffered in so many ways here and around the world.
Blues perform a haka before their clash against the British and Irish Lions in 2017. Photo / Photosport
It would be a celebration too of te reo Māori, our indigenous culture and what makes this tiny corner of the South Pacific so special. It would, momentarily at least, blast the silence and ghosts from whatever empty stadium is hosting the match and send a visceral message to the rest of the world that New Zealand, a resilient, well-led nation (for which that aforementioned isolation can be advantageous), is quickly getting back to near normality.
When I mentioned the idea recently to a chief executive of one of the franchises it was met with cautious enthusiasm – positivity perhaps tempered by the thought of the metaphorical hurdles over which he and his colleagues have to jump in order to see a return of a shortened and domesticated Super Rugby competition, not to mention the financial carnage ahead.
In the case of the Blues in the winter of 2017, their haka, entitled He Toa Takitini - The Strength of Many – was led by halfback Sam Nock and first-five Ihaia West and it signalled the start of an extraordinary match against the Lions at Eden Park which finished in a 22-16 victory for the home side. West's late try clinched it.
It was composed by Whiria Meltzer and Ruka Makiha, two friends called upon by then Blues head coach Tana Umaga to devise a suitable challenge before what was the Lions' first match against a New Zealand Super Rugby team. It was the first time the Blues have performed a pre-match haka.
In an interview with the Herald before the match, Meltzer said the haka "encourages us as young men to strive for excellence and never waiver from a challenge ... we shall strive on and endure to the very end. We will lay the challenge and never back down".
As a message it deserves a wider reach in this modern age of uncertainty during which most of us New Zealanders have pulled together for the common good. It has not been easy and some of us have suffered more than others. But there may be good times ahead. Tihei Mouri ora! Listen up!
He Toa Takitini - The Strength of Many
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi He toa takitini kē Nei rā ngā uri, ngā wheinga O Tāmaki te makau o te tini E waha ana i ngā manako o te iwi e Kia tū mārohirohi Kia manawa piharau Kua karapinepine ngā tai e whā Ki runga i te karanga O tatawhainga Kia puta te ihu kia rongo i te wairua o ngā tūpuna E kore, kore, kore raua mātou E whati, e mōnehunehu Ka ū tonu ki te kaupapa Mō ake, ake, ake tonu atu e hī
My strength is not my own But the strength of many We are the descendants of Tāmaki (Auckland) adored by the many carrying the aspirations of the people Be determined Endure to the end The four tides have gathered together To heed the call that the competitive spirit possesses Only one shall push through We feel the presence of those who have passed on as motivation We shall not break, we shall not fade in what we do We will hold fast to the goal and we will never let go
