A silly article (opens new window) on Stuff recently talked about the benefits of a haka before playing rugby:

"Every time I see a New Zealand team like the All Blacks do a haka before a game, I know they have an edge on the competition even before they start."

• Wellness at Work director Chris Toal

"Unlike stretching the haka wakes up the muscles, connects the proprioceptors on the skins surface to the tissue underneath. The slapping and striking moves of the haka stimulate the body and mind into a full alert challenged state, while the verbal challenge itself opens up the airways and helps get the heart ready for combat."

"When used as part of a dynamic warm-up the haka is one, if not the, most effective way for any athlete to be at their peak right at the moment of joining the battle of competition."

Chris Toa is a former Tutor at Wellpark college of Natural Therapies

Qualified in:

• Deep Tissue and Sports Massage
• Fascial Kinetics
• Chinese Reflexology
• Lymphatic Drainage
• Certified Bodywall Trainer