Black Ferns gain new perspective on haka

If opposing teams want to get a sense of what it’s like to face the Black Ferns when they arrive in New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup next year, they can now pay a visit to Federal St in downtown Auckland.

A recording of the national women’s rugby team performing its haka, Ko U¯ hia Mai, made at Eden Park in 2019, is now on display on a four-metre high screen, as part of the All Blacks Experience, which opened last December.

The addition of the Black Ferns haka was formally launched yesterday, with several players present, including veteran hooker Te Kura NgataAerengamate, who said the experience of facing it rather than leading it was ‘‘definitely different’’.

‘‘Now I know what it feels like to be facing the haka, just like every other team that plays against the Black Ferns, and it’s definitely not a good sight.’’

Ko U¯ hia Mai was gifted to the Black Ferns by Whetu Tipiwai, who was the kauma¯ tua of the Ma¯ ori All Blacks for a decade from 2001 to 2010, as well as a member of the New Zealand Ma¯ori Rugby Board for 15 years, but died in 2015.

His widow, Heneriata Tipiwai, was present at the launch and joined the Black Ferns as they lined up to view the haka.

‘‘We never met him,’’ Ngata-Aerengamate said of Whetu.

‘‘I’ve always wanted to, but he passed away, so to have his wife here and to see the emotion in her eyes, that we performed something of her husband’s – I’m sure we’ve made him proud.’’

The Black Ferns’ preparations for the defence of their World Cup title were given a boost with confirmation of the dates for the tournament, which was postponed to 2022 earlier this year as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was originally scheduled to run from September 18 to October 16 this year, but will now begin on October 8 next year and conclude with the final on November 12 at Eden Park.

Black Ferns coach Glenn Moore said NZ Rugby was ‘‘making good progress’’ with regard to securing fixtures later this year for the Black Ferns, who last played a test on August 17, 2019, against Australia’s Wallaroos.