Rugby World Cup final: What is it really like to face the haka?

The Black Ferns person their ain haka, created specifically for them successful 2006

England are prepared astir down to the past item for Saturday's World Cup last against New Zealand but 1 determination remains: however they volition look the haka.

All of England's starting XV person faced the haka before, but they person ne'er done truthful astatine a sold-out Eden Park successful a World Cup final.

Kat Merchant, who won the World Cup with England successful 2014, admits she was "a spot scared" the archetypal clip she had to face it.

"My absorption fig lined herself up truthful she could look astatine me," she told BBC Sport.

"As she did it I retrieve her staring and pointing astatine me. I had goosebumps due to the fact that it was chill but I was a spot scared. She looked similar she hated me."

Teams person had antithetic approaches to the haka astatine this World Cup. Australia enactment their arms astir each different and walked towards it, with Wales doing akin successful a V shape.

"We utilized to huddle instantly after, turning your backmost connected the haka and present they're waiting," Merchant explains.

"Some radical would purposely person tracksuits connected truthful they would person to hold portion you instrumentality those off."

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Teams receiving the haka are not allowed to transverse the halfway line

'You cognize the camera is connected you'

The past of the Black Ferns and the haka is not a straightforward one.

At the archetypal women's World Cup successful 1991, their show of the Ka Mate haka - the accepted haka for the men's All Blacks - was a root of controversy.

Debbie Chase led New Zealand successful the ritual and immoderate elders successful New Zealand thought it was inappropriate for her to person done truthful with a wide-leg stance.

As erstwhile Black Ferns skipper Farah Palmer writes successful an academic nonfiction connected the topic, the broadside would crook to a antithetic haka successful 1996, until successful 2006 a haka was composed specifically for them - Ko Uhia Mai.

Of course, it is not conscionable absorption teams who person to deliberation astir it.

In bid for newer members of the Black Ferns squad to go acquainted with the haka, the squad established a buddy strategy of older and younger players earlier the World Cup.

"The younger ones truly are like, 'I request to beryllium good', due to the fact that you cognize the camera is connected you, and you cognize you privation to bash it justice," 1 of the side's haka leaders Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu told Stuff earlier the tournament.

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'It riles some teams'

Nerves whitethorn good play a portion successful the World Cup last and the squad with the champion commencement volition beryllium capable to settee quickest.

Merchant expects the 40,000 successful Eden Park to "go wild" during the haka and that could springiness New Zealand the aboriginal boost they need.

England prop Sarah Bern admits she was "in awe of the occasion" the archetypal clip she faced the haka, but believes the Red Roses' acquisition of playing successful France volition hole them for the adversity.

"I don't deliberation we find it ace intimidating due to the fact that it's portion of them, the bundle that they play with," she says.

"If you've played France distant and you've had a full stadium booing you, you're rather prepared for anything."

For helping Abby Dow, who volition person her hands afloat against the ever breathtaking Ruby Tui, the haka volition simply marque the last adjacent much thrilling than it is already expected to be.

"It's not 1 that I would fear, it's 1 I would get excited by," she says.

"It riles some teams beauteous equally. It's breathtaking for some teams and paramount to making it specified large entertainment

"They are astir throwing down the gauntlet. I deliberation astir teams are acceptable to prime that gauntlet up and deliberation 'let's bring it'."

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