TS_customs2 16/3/07 7:41 pm Page 52

TIMESAVER CUSTOMS & LIFESTYLE IN THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING WORLD Sport NEW ZEALAND

Rugby – New Zealand's favourite sport

17 Although there are only four million
people in New Zealand, almost every one is
mad about rugby*!

New Zealand's national rugby team is called The

All Blacks. When New Zealand toured England in
the early 1900s, a reporter first used the phrase
"All Blacks" because of their plain black
football kit.

Most people believe that the sport began in 1823

at Rugby School, in Warwickshire, England. Many
schools played a game that was a mixture of rugby
and football. One day a boy called William Webb
Ellis, decided to pick up the ball and run with it in
his hands. And so the game of rugby was born.

When the British came to New Zealand over a

century* ago, they brought the game with them,
and it became very popular with the strong,
warrior-like Maoris.

The Maori word ‘haka’ means a war dance, and it

is traditionally performed before a battle*.
However, in 1987 it was performed for the first
time at the Rugby World Cup. Today, it is always
performed before an international match.

1 Read the text and answer the questions.

1 How did the All Blacks get their name?
2 Where was the first game of rugby played?
3 How did the New Zealanders first get to know
the game of rugby?
4 When do Maoris usually perform a haka? 2 Read the traditional ‘haka’ that the All Blacks
5 How did the haka become part of New Zealand's perform. Which of the movements in the
rugby tradition today? haka can you see in the photos on this page?

Te Rauparaha haka
Ringa pakia Tenei Te Tangata Puhuruhuru
(Slap the hands against the thighs) (This is the hairy man)
Uma tiraha Nana i tiki mai whakawhiti te ra
(Puff* out the chest) (Who caused the sun to shine again for me)
Turi whatia Upane, Upane
(Bend the knees) (Up the ladder, Up the ladder)
Hope whai ake Upane, Kaupane
(Let the hip* follow) (Up to the top)
Waewae takahia kia kino Whiti te ra
(Stamp* the feet as hard as you can) (The sun shines!)

Ka mate! Ka mate! (It is death!, It is death!)

Ka ora! Ka ora! (It is life!, It is life!) (x2)

52 TIMESAVER: Customs & Lifestyle in the English-speaking World © Scholastic Ltd. PHOTOCOPIABLE
TS_customs2 16/3/07 7:41 pm Page 53

TIMESAVER CUSTOMS & LIFESTYLE IN THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING WORLD Sport NEW ZEALAND

3 18 Read the story of the haka and put the pictures in the correct order.

The story of Te Rauparaha

Te Rauparaha and a group of men were on a journey.
They decided to stop at a lake to get some fish to eat.
On their way there, they saw some people from a
different tribe. They thought, "Let's eat them instead!”
So they did. But some of the people escaped and ran
back to their village. The villagers began to run after
Te Rauparaha and kill him and his group.
Te Rauparaha ran to a friendly village and hid away
in a hole in the ground. Suddenly the top of the hole
was opened. Te Rauparaha thought his life was over.
But then he saw the hairy legs of the chief* of the
village, and he knew he was safe.
Te Rauparaha climbed out of the hole and
performed a haka to celebrate*.

a b

c d 1

f
e

Personal project
What is your favourite sport? Look up some interesting facts about its history. *What is it in your language?
Find out!

PHOTOCOPIABLE TIMESAVER: Customs & Lifestyle in the English-speaking World © Scholastic Ltd. 53