Kiwi haka challenge gets protection

WELLINGTON: The haka challenge made famous by the All Blacks' rugby team was given back to the Maori tribe whose ancestor devised it yesterday with the aim of protecting it from commercial exploitation.

Ka Mate, which is used by the All Blacks before matches as a challenge to their opposition, was originated by Ngati Toa's warrior chief Te Rauparaha in the early 19th century after he escaped death while being chased by his enemies.

The New Zealand government gave the intellectual property rights of the challenge to the tribe yesterday as part of an agreement to settle grievances going back 160 years.