I te tau 2017, i tū tētahi kaupapa whakahirahira ki Rotorua. I kotahi mai tōna 7,700 tāngata, tētahi rōpū nui katoa i te ao, ki te haka.
Nō te tau 2014 i puritia ai e Wīwī tēnei mana, i te tū a tētahi 4028 tāngata ki te haka i te wā kotahi. I te tau 2016, i Whakaoriori, i haka tētahi autaia 6000 tāngata, heoi, kāore i tohua ōkawatia, nō reira kāore i whaimana.
I konei, i whakarite te Karapu Whutupōro o te Ao (International Rugby Club) i tēnei whakamātau. I tino whakapono tētahi o ngā rangatira o te karapu, a Tony Molloy, i tutuki noa atu i a rātou te taitara a ngā Wīwī. I haka rātou i te haka autaia nei i mua tonu i te tākaro a te kapa Ōpango Māori ki ngā Raiona o Peretania me Aerani (British and Irish Lions).
Hei tā Molloy, “I haukerekeretia ngā mea Wīwī,” me te whakapae i nui noa atu tā rātou haka! Heoi, arā tētahi tūtukinga wae – kāore i whakamanatia tēnei whakamātau e ngā āpiha, nō reira e puritia tonutia ana te mana e Wīwī.
Nā ngā kura o te rohe, nā Raukura me Rautāwhiri, me ngā rangatira, me Wētini Mitai Ngatai rāua ko Eraia Kiel, te haka i taki. Ahakoa kāore i tutuki ā-ōkawa nei i a rātou te huinga nui katoa, he mīharo tēnei whakaaturanga o tō tātou ahurea me tō tātou kotahitanga.
Arā te tini me te mano e whakapono nei me pupuri e Aotearoa te mana nei! Ākene pea ko koe tērā ka whai wāhi atu ki te whakamātau haka nui katoa e whai ake nei.
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ENGLISH TRANSLATION
In 2017, something exciting happened in Rotorua. Nearly 7,700 people gathered to try and break the world record for the largest haka dance.
The previous record was held by France since 2014, when 4,028 people performed the haka. In 2016, in Masterton, a whopping 6,000 people did the haka, but it wasn’t officially recorded, so it didn’t count.
This time, the International Rugby Club organized the record attempt. One of its founders, Tony Molloy, was super confident they had beaten the French record. They performed the massive haka before the British and Irish Lions played against the Māori All Blacks.
Mr. Molloy said, “We smashed the French out of the park,” meaning they did even better! But, there’s a twist – this attempt wasn’t verified by officials, so the official record still belongs to France.
Local schools, Rotorua Boys’ High School and Rotorua Girls’ High School, along with leaders Wētini Mitai Ngatai and Eraia Kiel, led the haka. Even though it didn’t break the record, it was an incredible show of culture and unity.
Many people believe that Aotearoa should hold the record! Maybe you will be part of the next attempt at the world’s largest haka.
