A look behind the scenes of Māori All Blacks tour of Japan to screen from Saturday

Māori All Blacks players perform a haka before their match against Japan XV in the Lipovitan-D Challenge Cup in Toyota City. Photo / Action Press

Māori All Blacks: Bound by Blood is four-part documentary series that will show there’s more to being on tour with the Māori All Blacks than rugby.

“The audience will see the highs and lows of the team on tour, including the locker rooms, training sessions and a behind-the-scenes view of the Māori All Blacks environment,” says Joe Whitehead, a producer at Pango Productions, which made the series.

“We follow the journeys of six individual players as they embrace te ao Māori in their own way and draw strength from their taha Māori over the course of the tour.

“It is a team connected by whakapapa and blood, upholding the legacy of our tūpuna and that of the legendary players whose shoulders they stand on,” says Joe Whitehead.

As the team’s cultural adviser, Te Wehi Wright (Te Arawa), says, his role carries with it a huge opportunity and a responsibility to make sure the players feel as cool as he does about being Māori.

“My job is to ensure not only tikanga and protocols are adhered to, but also how we implement, live and breathe te ao Māori in all we do,” says Wright.

“My main focus is to connect the players with their culture and identity as part of preparations so that the player is ready spiritually, has the right mindset and is physically ready for the opponent.”

For new coach Ross Filipo (Muaūpoko) it is a full-circle moment. As a former Māori All Black and now assistant coach of the Chiefs, it is something he has waited his whole career for.

Speaking to his team ahead of the first test, Filipo said he wanted two things: “Impose yourself on this team, and trust in the fact that you guys can bring the taniwha.”

The history of the Māori All Blacks dates back to 1888 when the New Zealand Natives departed for what is still regarded as the longest sports tour ever, at 14 months. They were the first team to include a haka at the beginning of their games.

The first episode is on Saturday, October 26, on Whakaata Māori.

EPISODE 1 – The Māori All Blacks, a team bound by whakapapa and under new head coach Ross Filipo, tackle a short lead time and a tragic loss in preparation for the first of two tests in Japan.

EPISODE 2 – The team arrive in Japan and, inspired by their haka and reconnecting with te ao Māori, secure a convincing victory in the first game despite injury sidelining their most experienced player.

EPISODE 3 – Coach Ross has a week to refocus the team for the second game. Exploring the legacy of the Māori battalion leads players to evaluate their own connection – or disconnection – from te ao Māori.

EPISODE 4 – Can the Māori All Blacks pull off a second win in a heatwave? Cam Suafoa shares his cancer story. A moving final wānanga unites the players. What impact has being part of this group had on them?