The All Blacks are expected to use Kapa O Pango in the knockout of the World Cup. Photo / Getty Images
MARSEILLE - Developing their own haka was the final step in sculpting this All Blacks rugby team says halfback Byron Kelleher, who had watched the Ka Mate haka devolve into little more than a "publicity stunt".
When outlining the importance to the players of their own Kapa O
Pango haka, Kelleher said they felt the traditional All Blacks haka had been stripped of its value.
"We felt as though the Ka Mate had lost a wee bit of its feel and was used more from a marketing point of view and just a publicity stunt for the All Blacks," Kelleher said.
"We just felt as though it lost a lot of its meaning so therefore we wanted to find out how we could reignite that.
"Therefore we used Kapa O Pango to give it a brother or sister and create a meaning for this team, of what we're about."
The New Zealand team use either haka before tests but it would be a major surprise if Kapa O Pango wasn't the preferred choice in the knockout stages later in the tournament.
Since first using it against South Africa at Carisbrook in 2005, the All Blacks have tended to employ their custom-written Maori challenge before the major tests they play.
Former captain Tana Umaga led Kapa O Pango for the first time and had played a leading role in giving this team its own identity, Kelleher said.
"We really searched deep to find out what the All Blacks are about and we went back to quite a few things," he said.
"The blackness of the jersey and the history and the people and the haka and what we're about as individuals.
"Never take things for granted in the team environment because you get found out, and certain players have experienced that."
- NZPA
