Ireland prop Cian Healy bought himself a whole lot of publicity – little of it complimentary – when he slammed the All Blacks’ haka in the lead-up to the test at Lansdowne Road.
Joseph Romanos
Healy seemed to be going to extraordinary lengths not to be intimidated.
He said he hated the haka and wondered why the All Blacks were allowed to perform it before tests.
He also said he never used the term All Blacks, preferring to call them New Zealand.
Predictably, Healy was laughed out of court in New Zealand rugby circles, but he had a point. “I don’t hate the haka, but do feel it is so ridiculously over-done these days that its currency has been devalued.”
At an Olympics or Commonwealth Games, there just don’t seem to be any haka-free zones. There always seems to be a haka breaking out in the New Zealand headquarters, or when New Zealanders are competing.
Television commentators invariably say, after the All Blacks’ pre-match haka: “We’re in for a great performance today. That haka was done with real feeling.” As if it had any relevance on the way the team was about to play!
Like Healy, I cannot understand why the All Blacks are allowed to do their haka just before a test. It means their opponents have to stand there motionless while the All Blacks take centre stage. In the era of professional sport, giving one team so obvious an advantage seems remarkable.
There’s a myth that the All Blacks have always done a pre- match haka. Not so. They used to do it quite often when on tour – in 1928 in South Africa, the All Blacks would do a haka and the Springboks would respond with their own war cry, devised on the morning of the game. But the All Blacks almost never did a haka at home. There was an exception before the Scotland test in Auckland in 1975, and since the 1987 World Cup it has become de rigueur.
In fact, not happy with their traditional Ka Mate haka, the All Blacks now have two – they came up with the Kapo o Pango version in 2005.
Teams respond to the haka in different ways. Some stand there politely, waiting for it to finish. Before the test at Athletic Park in 1996, the Wallabies didn’t bother watching, but headed off to do some warm-up drills. They were roundly condemned by New Zealanders for being rude.
Crack Australian winger David Campese used to pointedly ignore the haka.
In 1989, Ireland marched in V formation towards the All Blacks so that by the time the haka finished, New Zealand’s Buck Shelford and Ireland’s Willie Anderson were nose to nose. To his credit, Shelford praised the Irish for their spirited acceptance of the challenge.
In 1997, England hooker Richard Cockerill was only centimetres away from his opposite, Norm Hewitt, by the end of the haka.
Francois Pienaar led a similarly aggressive South African response before the 1995 World Cup final.
There is actually no satisfactory response to a haka.
To stand there meekly offers New Zealand an edge. To reply aggressively risks being labelled culturally unfeeling.
I’m with Cian Healy. As a pre-test activity, the haka has had its day.
Some comments from NZ
Yes, dump the haka before international sporting events particularly in those countries where they don’t like it and don’t want it. Particularly as the original concept of the haka is a challenge to persons visiting a Maori village marae, not to sporting competitors. To continue to perpetuate the haka overseas is making New Zealand a laughing stock, and a visible demonstration of how this predominantly non Maori country has some sort of guilt complex about their so called ‘respect’ of Maori heritage.
Grow up Kiwis, or is your ingrained insularity already too strong to show how internationally mature you are ?
When the Haka is done like it was with us VS Tonga it is how it should be done. Any team with a retaliation should be allowed to perform it any way they want to. ESPECIALLY when its their own war dance!! Watch the clip, it still sends shivers down my spine.
I like this one, sort off…. eishhhh , dont know.
Maybe the haka needs to be performed AFTER the game – and only if the AB’s win – as a challenge for the opposition to do better next time. It is done after the Olympic events – and that way it could not influence the opposition before a game. If spectators wanted to switch off, or leave the stadium before it was performed, they could. Maybe it could be part of the escorting of the opposition off the field?
Reading through the comments and recalling the comments i can remember made here on R-T it is a fact that the one team benefits and the other have to stand like sheep ready for the slaughter. Although i like it somewhat i cant understand why it must be the last thing done before kick off.
In NZ its OK that way, they have the right , it is after all a home game.
In other countries the last act must belong to the host nation, whether it is Waltzing Matilda in Australia , The Welsh choir singing or Ireland responding with some national important song or dance, the right for a last hooraah is the host countries privilege.
Ek steur my lankal nie meer aan die kiwi Se weergawe van die macarena nie,my mening is as hulle n ou dansie kan doen kan ons Zulu impi mos sy assegaai dans ook voor die game doen,dink net hoeveel intimidasie waarde dit sal he as daai assegaai voor makou in die grond gesteek word en die impi kyk hom mooi in die oe
As much as I like the haka, I think its unfair that the opposition cannot respond in their own way, as they deem fit. Its just the NZ rugby board that objects to the responses.
It is a silly song and dance routine which I have come to dislike since the whole thing was regulated.
@ superBul:
Goeie video Superbul, het dit n paar keer gekyk en was net so opgewonde soos die skare in die agtergrond. Ek hou egter ook van die Haka indien die opponente passief staan. Mens hoef nie soos Bruce Lee te kere te gaan as jy n uitdaging aanvaar nie.
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