Before you enter the story of the All Blacks, you pass through a story of place.

Te Waharoa (the entranceway) to the All Blacks Experience celebrates the mana whenua (people of the land) of Tāmaki Makaurau, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, alongside the story of All Blacks rugby.

Designed in collaboration by Dave Burke, Luke Crawford and Graeme Tipene, it brings traditional and contemporary design together through four key elements — Tūperiri, Kāhu Pōkere, Whātua Kaimārie and Waitematā.

The puhoro (traditional flowing patterns) represent the Waitematā Harbour and reference He Aha Te Hau, a kōrero matakite (prophecy) that foretold the arrival of the first sailing ships into these waters.

It also speaks to the continual arrival of people into Tāmaki Makaurau. Just as waka (canoes) once entered the harbour, visitors now arrive from across the world to begin their own journey here.

Above, the parirau (wing) represents Kāhu Pōkere, the black hawk and kaitiaki (guardian) who guided the waka Māhūhū ki te Rangi safely into the calm waters of the Waitematā after its journey from Hawaiki.

The gateway is therefore more than an entrance. It represents guidance, protection and welcome.

That welcome is also expressed through Whātua Kaimārie, an ancestress remembered for her hospitality, kindness and generosity. Her legacy reflects the manaakitanga (hospitality and care) at the heart of this space.

Standing at the entrance is Tūperiri, a tupuna (ancestor) of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. His grandson, Āpihai Te Kawau, was a rangatira (chief) and signatory to Te Tiriti o Waitangi who gifted 3,000 acres of whenua (land) for the establishment of Auckland — including the area where SkyCity and the All Blacks Experience stand today.

Te Waharoa grounds the experience in the whenua (land) and whakapapa (history and genealogy) of the place it calls home.

Before the rugby.
Before the jersey.
There is place, people and welcome.