The Haka has become a familiar sight in recent times, with the increase in the number of All Blacks rugby matches as well as the expansion of video channels on social media. Watching the haka at sporting fixtures, we tend to think that it is just a war dance, there to scare and intimidate the opponents before the match, with its vigorous movements, stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment and apparent facial contortions. However, it does also have several other different ceremonial purposes, including welcoming guests, saying farewell, giving advice or instructions, restoring self-respect and sharing social and political messages. In many ways, it is entirely, yet simply, about showing respect, as other examples on social media sites reveal. 

Other teams and other sports seek to ensure respect is given prior to the match though it might be worth reminding ourselves that the respect is meant to be carried into the match itself. It is not for show; it is not intended to be done and then the two teams can get stuck into each other as soon as the whistle goes. In soccer, teams line up before the match then shake hands with their opponents and the officials. Yet often, sadly, that is where the ‘respect’ ends (if it has even started as, in truth, there is no feeling or meaning to it, other than a touch of hands). As soon as the game begins, the players show little respect by feigning injury and fouls, by appealing for and questioning every decision, by time-wasting and dirty play. Supporters are no better, booing when someone is taking a penalty or abusing the referee or opposing players. Respect? Hardly a haka; just an act.

In contrast to the haka, we have the hacker. In sport we often refer to a ‘hacker’ as someone who is not at all proficient, as someone who hits the ball wildly, uncontrollably, incompetently, violently, with no skill or even purpose. There are plenty of them around! In horse-riding circles, a ‘hacker’ would be someone who goes for a ride on a horse in the bush purely for pleasure, not for training or competitive purposes. And, of course, in technology we define a ‘hacker’ as one who breaks into other systems unauthorized, primarily to gain information illegally and ultimately control.

In general terms, we would not consider a ‘hacker’ worthy of our respect. We look down on them; we do not celebrate them. And yet the same principle of the haka should also apply to such hackers, especially at school level. They are all young and still very much learning the game, maybe not in control of what they are doing, yet still deserving of respect. They should be able to enjoy the game without worrying about the consequences of competitiveness. They are not stealing anything. We all start as a hacker and it all starts with the haka. We need the hacker as much as the haka.

School sport is about laying down a challenge, yes, yet doing so with respect. It is not taunting, mocking or derisory. And that respect should be maintained throughout the match. Interestingly, significantly, at the end of the All Blacks matches against the Springboks these last few months, the players from both teams knelt down in a large circle and prayed together, once again showing respect to their opponents and to the game (not to mention a higher being).

If we pick up on thoughts we shared in a previous article [‘Reasons for Seasons’], there is a season to lay down the gauntlet and a season to chat and even pray afterwards (yet all too often we as school coaches do not allow such opportunities). There is certainly a time for a Haka, albeit in our own culture and format, and there is a time for a hacker. School fixtures are not wars. We do not need to intimidate or scare our opponents, just honour and respect them. If we did not have opponents, we would not have fixtures. As we honour the pangolin, the ‘haka’ in Shona, let us honour our sporting haka, without being hot-headed about it.

The overriding question though may be this: what sort of hacker are we producing? And will we apply our own form of ‘haka’ before, during and after each game? There have been proposals that at the end of a game both teams and coaching staff plus referee come together in a large circle in the middle of the field, and both teams call “Three cheers for the winning team”, both teams call “Three cheers for the losing team” and both teams cry “Three cheers for the referee”. There is a haka for us: can we not hack that?