2011 All Blacks Silver Proof Coin: the haka

Nothing says New Zealand rugby quite like the haka, and when the All Blacks unleash the cry of “Ka mate, Ka mate! Ka ora, Ka ora!”, it resonates with a strength and passion that is unrivalled in international rugby.

The 2011 All Blacks Coin: the haka is the second coin issue in New Zealand Post’s All Blacks series. While the first coin featured the silver fern, this 1oz silver proof coin portrays the All Blacks performing Te Rauparaha’s famous ‘Ka Mate’ haka before a match - a performance for which they are renowned the world over.

The haka and the All Blacks
The haka combines hands, feet, legs, voice, tongue and eyes to express the passion and identity of Māori culture. The centrality of the haka within the All Blacks rugby tradition is not a recent development. On an overseas tour in 1905 the New Zealand representative rugby side performed the haka for the first time as the newly named ‘All Blacks’, and the haka has been a prominent part of the All Blacks’ identity ever since.

The origins of ‘Ka Mate’
The most widely recognised haka is ‘Ka Mate’, made famous by the All Blacks who perform it with a precision and intensity that is synonymous with their approach to the game. ‘Ka Mate’ was composed by Te Rauparaha (1760s-1849), Rangatira (Chief) of the Māori tribe Ngāti Toa Rangatira (Ngāti Toa). The story goes that pursued by his enemies the Ngāti Maniapoto and Waikato tribes, Te Rauparaha sought protection at Lake Rotoaira from Te Wharerangi (from Ngāti Tuwharetoa). Te Wharerangi reluctantly agreed to help and bid him hide in a kumara pit and his wife (Te Rangikoaea) to sit on top. Here, having escaped his enemies, Te Rauparaha composed ‘Ka Mate’ as a celebration of life over death. Its performance by the All Blacks is supported by Ngāti Toa Rangatira.