As the All Blacks prepare to face off against arch-enemy and trans-Tasman cousins Australia in the Bledisloe Cup match tomorrow, they’ll be going into the game with more than a rugby rivalry that spans decades - they’ll also be armed with a waiata which is a celebration of haka, music and language.
Te Matatini will gift the waiata Kia Kino Nei Hoki to NZ Rugby to signify the continuation of the legacy that brings together haka and rugby.
Te Matatini chairman Sir Selwyn Parata said: “The power of waiata is its ability to transcend barriers and languages to evoke ihi, te wehi me te wana. Kia Kino Nei Hoki is a unifying force to rally our nation and fans worldwide to get behind our team.”
The electrifying live performance of Kia Kino Nei Hoki will ring out across a sold-out Forsyth Barr stadium during the match this weekend.
It will be performed by one of Aotearoa’s most popular Māori music artists and haka exponents Rob Ruha and Ria Hall, and featuring three-time Te Matatini world champions Te Kapa Haka o Te Whānau a Apanui.
Kia Kino Nei Hoki will be officially released on August 11, 2023, and will honour and celebrate Māori music month.
Ruha said Kia Kino Nei Hoki is an energising beat that creates an undeniable connection between stadium and stage. He said “the spirit of the song is charged with the excitement and adrenaline that kaihaka feel on the side of stage before we go out to perform. No doubt that spirit will be similar to when our team is in the changing room before they hit the rugby field.”
Kia Kino Nei Hoki is a trilingual waiata in te reo Māori, French and English and is the masterpiece of multi-award-winning artists Rob Ruha, Ria Hall, Pere Wihongi and Devin Abrams.