Air New Zealand staff farewell the All Blacks with powerfully passionate haka at Auckland Airport

Air New Zealand staff took to the tarmac in Auckland to farewell the All Blacks with a spine-tingling haka as they headed off to the Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Around 60 Air New Zealand employees performed the Air New Zealand haka, Te Mangopare, about the symbol commonly referred to as the koru, before moving into Ka Mate, a haka often performed by the men in black themselves.

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The All Blacks' first match in the tournament is against South Africa in Yokohama on September 21.

As the winners of the past two World Cups, the All Blacks could become the first team to win the competition three times in a row.

Go the All Blacks!