“Up the Wahs” – in a very short time, the earworm has become as quintessentially Kiwi as pavlova, Lion Red and jandals.

You might not know rugby league, you might not know Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad or Dallin Watene-Zelezniak ……but you have “up the Wahs” swirling around in your head.

The “Up the Wahs” rallying cry has woven itself into New Zealand vernacular over the course of the 2023 NRL rugby league season as the “Wahs”, the Warriors Auckland based NRL franchise, surged into the semi-finals of league’s showcase Australian competition.

As one Warriors fan told SunLive – “Isn’t it ironic that while the All Blacks are in France for the World Rugby Cup, New Zealand at home is chanting “up the Wahs? Love it.” Whether we’ll still be chanting tomorrow depends on whether the “Wahs” can beat the highly fancied Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane tonight starting at 10 pm NZT.

Apparently the “Up the Wahs” was ringing out around Ibiza, the Spanish nightlife and party Island in the Mediterranean.

“Our Ibiza trip WhatsApp group has just turned into a bandwagon fan page,” posted one Kiwi reveler on the island.

“My friend’s British boyfriend has never seen an NRL match, but even he has got right into it.”

Her boyfriend writes: “Not gonna lie, I haven’t a clue whats going on … but Up the Wahs”.

After a near wooden spoon season in 2022, the Warriors have had a stellar 2023 under Australian coach Andrew Webster, and their first top four finish since 2007.

They’re now just 80 minutes away from their first grand final since 2011.

“Up the Wahs” now graces beer cans, t-shirts, has been tagged on public transport and tattooed onto the bodies of Warrior fans who have endured years of frustration and joylessness.