Rebirth of the Haka by John "Super Hawg" Cobb

Beginning in three distinct groups, the conch shell sounds and the team comes together as one.  Symbolic of "three rivers merging into one," Coach Lineweaver says, "it also represents the diversity of Trinity High School and the football team with many cultures coming together into one family."  And this is only the first few seconds of the new Haka Trinity presented on Monday, September 7.  The leader goes on to issue two challenges to the team, to which they reply with an emphatic "IO," or yes in the native tongue.  The third challenge is issued to the team and the fans, who reply with an "IO, IO," two yes' giving even more of an emphatic, "[heck] yeah," according to the new Haka's author, Richie Kautai. 

Richie continued by citing the decision for the new Haka being fueled by this years team's intense desire to make the Haka their own.  It was with this desire that Assistant Coach Jason Dibble and Richie came together to discuss important themes of the Trinity football program.  With these themes in mind, Richie "wrote and choreographed the new Haka, taught it to the team, and they made it [even better]," he said, focusing on the importance of each movement and word.  Since 2005 our Haka has been done in the Maori tongue, but this year it is done in Tongan making it unique to 2009 Trinity football.  The Trinity Haka was birthed in 2005 out of the Ka'mate Haka, inspired by the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team.  "If that was the birth of the Haka at Trinity, then this is the rebirth," Richie said.