Pupils had an exciting way of tackling lessons when they met a top Kiwi rugby team.

The 350 students from Eastwood Primary, Keighley, faced up to one of the most menacing sights in sport -- the haka -- when the New Zealand A team visited Keighley's Leisure Centre on Tuesday.

The squad performed the traditional Maori war dance, which has become a feature of the team's preparation before an international match.

They also held haka workshops to instruct the youngsters on how it was done.

New Zealand centre Ricky Henry said: "The haka is performed every time we play a game - it's a war dance and a challenge to our opponents."

The youngsters were all wearing b-active T-shirts, supplied by Bradford Council's sport and leisure service, which is running a campaign to encourage people to become more physically active.

Eastwood head teacher Linda Godden said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for our children to learn at first hand about another culture from the other side of the world." New Zealand A are on a five match tour of the UK and played against a national select team at Cougar Park, Keighley, on Wednesday evening.

Picture: Wayne McDade from the New Zealand team demonstrates the haka to Shajaat Ali,10, and classmates from Eastwood Primary school