By SHIGEHIRO SAITO/ Staff Writer
October 27, 2023 at 19:01 JST
KASHIWA, Chiba Prefecture--Some 9,000 kilometers from where the traditional Maori dance originated, children from a rugby club here gave a powerful rendition of the haka, famed for its iconic performance by New Zealand’s national All Blacks team.
“The heartbeat of Kashiwa,” “Now is the time, this is the moment,” shouted the young players in the Maori language on Sept. 24.
For the children who dream of one day playing in the Rugby World Cup, the inspiring dance is now an essential part of their training.
The Kashiwa haka was born in 2019, when the New Zealand national team trained in the city ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
A Maori coach from Auckland’s rugby association created an original haka choreography and lyrics as a gift to the people of Kashiwa, in gratitude for the warm welcome they received during their stay.
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Children from Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, perform the haka in the neighboring city of Abiko on Sept. 24. (Shigehiro Saito)
