Rugby teams do opposing war dances (video)

Tonga and Samoa combined for the rare double war dance prior to a rugby match.

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Cultural war dances are always one of the coolest things about an international rugby match. Most famously associated with New Zealand’s All Blacks team, a perennial powerhouse, the dances are traditional and can often serve as an intimidation tactic.

Rarely do both teams have a war dance ready to go, but that didn’t stop Tonga and Samoa prior to a game on Saturday.

Tonga started things off before Samoa responded, with the two teams ending up just feet away from each other. As you would expect, the crowd was thrilled with the pregame festivities.

Apparently Samoa’s war dance was slightly more effective, as it narrowly won 18-16. Still, Tonga was energized as well, as it kept things close in its first international match since the World Cup in 2013.

It was an impressive showing either way for Tonga, which took ninth-ranked Samoa down to the wire. Three of the last four games between the two have been decided by two points or less, with the previous match coming in June of 2012.

Samoa and Tonga were participants in a rare Pacific Nations doubleheader, hence the uncommon double war dance. Over 12,000 fans in Gold Coast, Australia were thrilled by the close match. Fiji defeated Papua New Guinea in the other match.

The rare doubleheader was used as a sort of trial run for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand in 2017. Samoa has already qualified, while Tonga will fight for one of the two remaining spots from the Asia/Pacific zone.

With the amount of excitement generated by the successful doubleheader, more Pacific Nations matches could be on the way.

H/T USA Today Sports