Youths Perform Maori Haka with Andorran Giants at Rugby Camp

Young participants in the Haka Rugby Global camp, joined by VPC Andorra players and the capital's Gegants, performed a traditional Maori haka in Andorra la Vella's Plaça del Consell General on the second day of their three-day high-performance rugby training.

Around 40 international youths aged 8 to 16 took part in the public display, which fused Andorran and New Zealand traditions as the giant figures danced alongside the group. Local authorities and spectators gathered to watch, with the event concluding in group photos featuring players, coaches, officials, and the Gegants.

Bobby Tane, a 42-year-old former professional player and one of two camp coaches from New Zealand, described the haka as a living expression of Maori identity rooted in genealogy, history, and emotion. Performed before battles to unite the tribe rather than intimidate, it declares origins and heritage. "We don't perform it—we carry it within us," Tane said, noting its mana, or spiritual power, endures today to honor people, celebrate, welcome, and foster unity through pride, protest, respect, and community.

He emphasized teaching its deeper meaning to European children, using a version created specifically for camp participants to build connection. This approach helps them feel they are expressing their own history, boosting confidence, voice, and emotional expression while instilling identity, belonging, and values like pride, respect, unity, and courage that last beyond the camp.

Tane highlighted the campers' rapid progress: their movements were precise, pronunciation of the challenge words strong despite speaking multiple languages, and grasp of its role as a gesture of respect clear. Historically a pre-war ritual popularized by the All Blacks, the haka involves full-body actions projecting strength and seriousness, showing "our worst and best face" while offering respect as a gift and signal of readiness.

One participant noted the coaches paired rugby training with Maori cultural lessons, explaining how the haka gave warriors strength and channeled ancestors' energy. Another appreciated learning about Maori daily life and communication. Tane added that challenges like language barriers are overcome through universal rugby values of respect and effort, with attitude outweighing technique as coaches lead by example.

The camp aims to build a whanau, or family, from children to future leaders, blending rugby skills with cultural immersion.