When TJ Perenara took the field for his final All Blacks match, his haka wasn’t just a performance – it was a political statement. It’s a reminder of the enduring power of haka as a tool for protest and identity.

After 89 international games for the All Blacks, TJ Perenara has bowed out of the international rugby union arena. However, before taking the field for the last time in the revered black jersey, Perenara decided to use the platform to make a political statement. 

Despite being a seemingly routine haka performed by the All Blacks 19,000kms away in Italy, it was a statement being directed not at the bunch of burly Italian men standing opposite them, nor the 40,000-strong crowd in attendance, but rather the hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders watching the game live on television, or those that would see the clip on social media. Talking to Sky Sport after the game, Perenara said it was special to lead the haka at any time, “and to be able to lead it tonight, specially to show the unification of our people back home”.

“I think we all saw the people in our hīkoi that took place, and we definitely saw it over here, and just the unity that our country showed, how our country has all come together.

“So for us to be able to acknowledge that unification of our people, all of our people, not just tangata whenua, but tangata katoa of Aotearoa, it’s something that was important for us, and important for me,” Perenara said.

Leading the haka for a record 64th time, Perenara began in the centre of a circle of his fellow teammates. Perenara emerged as the team echoed “tāiki ē!” in unison, part of a saying often used in speeches and karakia to signify that the group is united and ready to progress the purpose of them coming together.

“Ko tēnei haka mō te tāngata katoa o Aotearoa,” Perenara said as the team dispersed around him, preparing to begin the haka. This translates to: “This haka is for all the people of Aotearoa.”

Perenara then followed this up with: “Toitū te mana o te whenua. Toitū te mana motuhake. Toitū te Tiriti o Waitangi.” Translated, these mean: “The mana of the land remains. The sovereignty remains. Te Tiriti o Waitangi remains.”

Sitting at home on the couch on Sunday morning watching the prematch haka, the moment wasn’t lost on me. Even though the All Blacks would go on to have a quite unconvincing win (I fell asleep during the game), I knew I would find myself writing about that haka moment come Monday. Sure enough, there has been a plethora of media coverage about the haka since, with opinion being divided on Peranara’s choice of words.

The All Blacks organisation has been criticised for choosing to cut the beginning of the haka out of clips it has shared on social media. “Disappointing and very sad to see haka, a national taonga and visceral expression of messaging and emotion censored in this way by an institution like @allblacks,” commented toitu_te_tiriti, the official Instagram account of the Toitū Te Tiriti group. “Sadly it demonstrates yet again that Mãori culture is ok to be used performatively for entertainment and when it suits the commercial needs of an organisation, however not ok when used in its true form if the emotion of said haka does not convey messaging which the institution/organisation deems palatable.”

Meanwhile, media commentators such as Mike Hosking have been vocal in their disapproval. “One of the constraints around being an All Black is you represent the country as an elite athlete, not a politician or an activist,” he said. “What we want in All Blacks are sportspeople of integrity, professionalism and, preferably, an ability to win a lot…The rest of it risks damaging the brand, insulting fans and distracting us from the main point of the outing.”

Here’s my piece of unsolicited advice for Mike Hosking and people who share a similar viewpoint. If you’re not Māori and you’re not performing haka, then keep your comments about what is and isn’t appropriate when it comes to haka to yourself. 

On Sunday, the All Blacks performed Ka Mate, a haka that has become synonymous with our national rugby team, despite it originally being composed by Ngati Toa rangatira Te Rauparaha in around 1820. If anyone has a right to comment on the use of Ka Mate, it is surely Ngāti Toa – not Mike Hosking. His cry about brand damage and distraction is petty and he is masquerading race-baiting as opinion in order to drive up engagement and pander to a sector of society that is anti-anything-Māori when it goes against their beliefs.

Following the match, All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson told media he was aware Perenara intended to make the statement as part of the haka. The duo had discussed the remarks before the match, with Perenara informing Robertson they were “a sign of unity”.

It’s not the first time a political haka has made headlines in recent weeks. Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi Clarke recently went viral following her haka in protest of the Treaty principles bill. She also performed Ka Mate, following the announcement of her party’s votes on the bill and a political statement against the government. This haka was also met with criticism, being labelled as “thuggery” by Act party leader David Seymour. It was another moment of divisiveness, with Maipi-Clarke either being met with praise or ridicule. Some spoke of secondhand indigenous embarrassment, while others praised her for taking such a stand.

“If you have to do a haka to get your point across, maybe you don’t have a good argument,” Seymour told media at the time.

A haka can be whatever the person performing it wants it to be. There are haka pōwhiri, which are used to welcome manuhiri – sort of like what Ngāti Oneone rangatira Te Maro was doing when he was shot by one of the crew of the Endeavour. There are haka tautoko, which are used to show support for a kaupapa, person, or group. Then there are haka that are used as a challenge, like one performed before going into battle, or in protest. 

What haka should never be is a tokenistic ritual appropriated by non-Māori and used only when it suits the majority. Surely we’re educated enough to now realise that non-Māori shouldn’t be telling Māori when, where, or how our culture is acceptable or not. Mike Hosking’s comments suggest he may need some further education.

The time has come for us in Aotearoa to acknowledge that we can’t have our cake and eat it too. For far too long, we have paraded haka as a point of difference on the world stage, without giving it the respect it deserves. Haka is recognised around the world and exploited by tourism operators and marketers if given half a chance. Pākehā are proud to be a “Kiwi” overseas and will often be the first ones to drunkenly perform a haka to show off how “cultured” they are when the opportunity arises. However, using haka as a form of protest? No thanks.

The thing is, haka has long been used as a vehicle of political protest. For decades, kapa haka have utilised haka as a way to address political issues of the day. It is often used as an expression of resistance, solidarity, and calls for justice. The emotive power, physicality, and symbolism of haka assert Māori sovereignty, amplify marginalised voices, and unify communities, making it a tool for Māori movements advocating for justice and equity.

While the haka may sometimes be treated as a commodity in certain contexts like sports or tourism, treating it as such does not respect its true essence as a taonga of Aotearoa. Haka is fundamentally a cultural and spiritual practice, deeply tied to Māori identity and values. Any use of haka must consider the need to honour and preserve its mana, ensuring its use aligns with tikanga Māori. It is not something to be criticised by non-Māori, nor utilised purely for commercial gain. The haka is not just performance – it’s identity, resistance, and truth. TJ Perenara’s message reminds us: Māoritanga must be embraced fully, not just when it’s safe or convenient.