More than 6,500 people perform a 'haka' in New Zealand to claim the world record

New Zealanders had an appointment this Sunday at Eden Park rugby stadium. The call, distributed through different channels, aimed to attract the largest number of people to take away from France a title it has held for a decade: the world record for the largest 'haka'. A goal they achieved thanks to the more than 6,500 attendees who decided to attend the event.

Not only were New Zealanders invited to the event, but also Guinness World Records judge Brian Sobel, who came from Sydney. He was responsible for certifying that Eden Park stadium in Auckland was indeed hosting the world's largest 'haka', a war dance of the Maori people. Thousands of people, men and women of various ages and nationalities, shouted and stomped on the ground while slapping their legs with their hands.

Sobel certified, once the dance was over, that they had managed to break the French record, which stood at 4,028 people. The participants of the New Zealand dance performed the 'Ka Mate haka', which went viral some time ago as part of the ritual of the All Blacks rugby team just before matches. It was composed around 1820 by the warrior chief Te Rauparaha to celebrate his escape from a rival tribe that was chasing him.