Tonga will kick off the haka wars after being given the nod to start their traditional pre-match war dance ahead of New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup opener in Auckland tomorrow night.
Tournament director Kit McConnell says Tonga has the right to start their haka ahead of hosts New Zealand, who then have the option of trying to drown out their rivals or wait until they have finished.
At least two World Cup games will feature a clash of hakas with Fiji to play Samoa in two weeks
McConnell says where two teams perform cultural challenges, Team A, who in this case tomorrow are Tonga, will start their challenge first and it's up to the All Blacks to determine when and how they respond to that