Rugby teams and the "haka" - wow (1 Viewer)

Saw this on another forum and was wondering if anyone here has seen this in person because even on a 8" x 6" video window, it looks impressive!:

A rugby team doing the haka, a Maori intimidation dance:

The All-Blacks team

The All Blacks doing the Haka against France

on a side note: holy crap these rugby guys are ripped/big - they look in way better shape than most NFL players! And they get cauliflower ears like wrestlers do, I guess from the......whatever they call that group "hug" thing & I mean that in THE most respectable way (the 8-man college club I was a member of was way too laid back for that to happen ).

Yeah they are awesome. We used to gush over this stuff in high school. I was a very casual fan of the sport and watched a World Cup game or two. Some of my friends played. This was in the days of Lomu, who is just about the only rugby player I can name. A veritable for of nature.

EDIT: Yup, it was the '95 South Africa cup that got our attention, and looking up Lomu, according to Wiki, he "burst onto the international rugby scene during [that event]".

And check this out (Wiki):


Damn

When I watched the movie Whale Rider, I didn't make the connection with the Haka till much later.

I just looked up the term "cauliflower ears" and I wish I hadn't. Eeeew.

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H

I believe it's a war dance, actually. My school's rugby team used to do it as well, although the effect when a bunch of 16 year-olds do it is not quite the same...

Are you referring to the scrum, when 8 each of the two teams look like bulls trying to push the other team off? I guess the second row of guys, who have to stick their heads in between their teammates in the front row, could do serious damage to their ears. Hence nowadays they often wear headgear that looks like the Snoopy caps the astronauts wear.

Looks scary.

I just did a quick search for rugby on TV (Knology cable) and came up with zero programs. Do we even get any rugby broadcasts here in the boradcast wasteland known as the USA?

We had no rugby team, but I've seen it performed at school as well (high school), as part of "International Week" or some such. You know, a week dedicated to celebrating other cultures.

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H

We used to on Fox Sports World before they became the Fox Soccer Channel. Now, I have no idea where to find rugby or Australian Rules Football.

Is this supposed to be a feat?

CJ

I think Lance was referring to NFL players in skill positions (QB, RB, WR, LB, etc.) who normally are in great shape.

Pretty much.

On the sports forum where I first heard about the haka, a rugby player posted & said this sport is the 2nd most popular in the world - I didn't know that.

Another thing that impresses me vs. NFL players: rugby guys don't use pads. I'm not trying to insult the football guys, but I'm getting more interested in trying to see a rugby game in its entirety......Youtube here I come!

Rugby guys are tough, but I lubs football americano too much

Rugby vs NFL