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Nothing stirs up rugby's blood quite like New Zealand's haka
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FILE - French players, left, stand close to their New Zealand counterparts who perform their pre-match Haka before the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match between France and New Zealand at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on Oct. 6, 2007. New Zealand rugby teams have been performing the haka before matches for 135 years. - photo by AP Photo/Ross Land, Pool, File
Silence fell on Cardiff Arms Park as the first New Zealand rugby team to be called the All Blacks faced Wales before their epic 1905 test. The South Wales Daily News reported the “Colonials" stood center-field and "sang their weird war-cry.” The haka, then as now, stirs up rugby's blood. Eyes popping, tongues poking, body slapping and feet stamping to a rhythmic chant, the pre-kickoff ritual is performed by the All Blacks to reconnect with the core of New Zealand culture, strengthen the team bond, and challenge rivals.