It doesn’t involve physical violence, nor does it entail any actual play, but New Zealand’s Haka war cry is widely regarded as the most intimidating thing in sport.

• Insular, myopic, deluded: why rugby is sinking
• VIDEO: Worst howler ever? Ref awards ‘own try’

With strict penalties in place to preserve the ritual, Kiwi rugby teams are usually allowed to perform their powerful dance in peace.

However, during the pre-game ritual at a junior Test match in Auckland over the weekend things got ugly and officials had to get involved.

The menacing New Zealand team were met with some strong-willed Aussie players, who refused to back down during the dance and instead stood face-to-face with their Kiwi counterparts.

You can see the fiery encounter here:

The incident calls to mind a number of other on-field showdowns inspired by the famous ancestral Maori cry.

Here, we recall the most powerful Haka moments in sporting history.

V for Vendetta: All Blacks v France, Rugby World Cup Final 2011 

The French team were fined for their reaction to the All Blacks’ scary display during the 2011 World Cup Final.

Rather than standing still, France walked forward together in a V-formation, stopping just short of the New Zealand side. They were hit with a nearly $5000 penalty for their behaviour.

Bad dancing: All Blacks v Barbarians, 1973

Boy, has the Haka come a long way. In its early days, a lack of ferocity meant it appeared more like a daggy dance move than an intimidating display of strength.

This video of the New Zealand side performing it in Cardiff epitomises the dance’s early shortcomings. Thankfully, it got scarier.

Local flavour: Waikato v Ngati Porou East Coast, July 2013

One team doing the Haka is scary enough, but throw two rival New Zealand teams into the mix and the result is like a battle scene out of an epic Hollywood movie.

Watch warring local sides Waikato and Ngati Porou East Coast edge closer and closer together in their Hakas as an excited crowd gathers to see the action.

Face-to-face: All Blacks v Ireland, 1989

Much like the French team, Ireland decided to challenge the All Blacks’ Haka in 1989 with a display of solidarity.

They took it one step further, however, by walking arm-in-arm right up the New Zealand side without flinching. It was the first time any team had so aggressively responded to the Haka.

Mexican stand-off: All Blacks v Wales, 2008

Usually, the All Blacks are accustomed to their Haka being met with fear, or at least minor discomfort.

Before a match at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium they were surprised to find a stoic Wales side refused to budge.

After the end of their war cry, New Zealand were forced to stare down the Welsh team as they quite literally took a stand and referees were forced to intervene.

Close call: All Blacks v France, Rugby World Cup quarter final 2007

In one of their first ever challenges to the Haka, the French side watched the performance from only a metre away.

Their fierce facial expressions and utter immovability make them almost as intimidating as the New Zealand side.