If some did indeed predict the victory of the XV of France against the All Blacks (30-29), no one saw the other event of the evening coming. This Saturday, November 16 at the Stade de France, the Haka of the New Zealand selection was treated to a new and spectacular scenography.
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Indeed, when the New Zealanders gathered to perform the famous Maori warrior dance, the lights at the Stade de France went out. The only sources of light still visible were the flashes of the telephones in the stands, the blue-white-red lighting from the roof of the Stade de France and the spotlights pointing at each of the selections.
This atypical nighttime atmosphere gave a new flavor to a show that is generally already expected by fans. Starting the Kapo o Pango, a cathedral silence was felt in the Dyonisian enclosure. Only a few sounds of warlike cries, surely coming from New Zealand supporters who had made the trip, resonated.
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Furthermore, some Internet users thought that the silence was supported by TF1 production work. However, numerous amateur videos showed that no tricks had been carried out.
After this sequence, numerous media from around the world relayed the sequence, praising the scenography put in place by the French Rugby Federation. For example, the New Zealand news site Stuff reported that “the Stade de France was transformed into an art gallery when the All Blacks performed Kapo O Pango”.
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On social networks, many supporters welcomed the staging. Some people talk about “one of the most beautiful sequences in the history of rugby” while others ask: “Put it in the Louvre!”
Moreover, this honoring of the Haka comes after several controversial events linked to the All Blacks. This summer in particular, the war dance of the New Zealand selection was heavily booed by many South African fans during the Rugby Championship. Recently, New Zealand's performance was disrupted by the “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” of English supporters before England – New Zealand.
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