(CNN)It’s what representing their country is all about — walking out in New Zealand’s All Blacks jersey, facing their opposition, and delivering a spine-tingling, hair-raising Haka before the whistle blows for kick-off.
The sights and sounds of the Haka — feet stomping, fists pumping, vocal chords straining — are deeply entrenched within New Zealand culture.
“For me, the Haka is a symbol of who we are and where we come from,” former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw told CNN in 2015.
