No Haka?

bucks73

NZ didnt perform the Haka on the pitch for some stupid political reason. They did it in their dressing room. Anyone know more?

Ruu_Old

I just saw this on the match tracker on the BBC website but nothing more on it.

The anthems have been sung but there will be no pre-match haka by New Zealand following a row with the Welsh Rugby Union apparently.

The All Blacks performed it in the changing room instead, which I think we will all agree is a bit of shame - where's our pre-match theatre?

shoutman

Yea the television cameras showed it being done in the area outside the changing rooms, ridiculous really.

Chucky the tree

Great way to fire the all blacks up.

bucks73

They showed a clip on tv and it came up on the screens in the Millenium too so the crowd started to boo. Obviously the crowd wanted it too so whoever complained about it in the first place is just being petty.

RuggieBear

should just stop them doing it permanently

shoutman

RuggieBear wrote:

should just stop them doing it permanently

Its been discussed in another thread, but I disagree.

The haka is a rugby tradition and I don't think it should be stopped, I also disagree that it gives NZ an unfair pschological advantage as the opposition can choose to turn their backs if they wish to.

thirdmantackle

or throw a leaf over one's shoulder

that is meant to help...

Sherifu

they did it last year between the anthems because of it being the centenary
they wanted to do it after the anthems again this year and the welsh didnt want that, i like to see the haka

anyway it's men against boys........... 31-3

Sangre

The WRU were right to tell them to stuff themselves, a visting team should always give way to the hosts (which NZ did in fairness).

Way too much 'honour' is given to the highly commercialised haka.

Santa Claus

Will the pacific islands be doing some form of haka before tomorrows game ?
I remember the samoans used to do it, and it's always good to see.

thirdmantackle

no

many of the pacific islands have their own version of the Haka

The All Blacks changed the Haka to make it more threatening for opposing teams, so of course they use it for other than 'cultural' reason

let them do the Haka before they get on the team bus...

Pigman II

Was it not to do with people objecting to the troath slitting gesture in their new Haka 'Kapa o Pango'?

I think they should be allowed to do it before matches as it adds a bit of colour to proceedings. This notion that it gives them some psychological advantage is not the case imho as it must psyche up opposition players as well as the AllBlacks. If they end up thumping most teams after their little dance then it's purely because they are the best rugby team in the world and not because they've put the fear into the other team.

Have to say I'm not a big fan of rugby but they are a great team to watch irregardless. I hope we reach the RWC final in 2007 and lose to them.

daveirl

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crybaby

the all-blacks refused to perform the haka on the pitch because the Welsh wanted to respond to the haka with their national anthem or a different song which seems entirely fair to me so I don't know why Richie McCaw is crying about it

il gatto

Visitors anthem first. Home anthem second. If they want to substitute an anthem with a dance, let them. But they should be subject to the same protocol as everyone else. If the G.A.A. can stomach (just about) God Save The Queen being played in Croke Park, New Zealand should be able to put up with listening to their opponants anthem after their "performance". If we change the rules for people because they're really good, where do we stop?

mikedragon32

The precedent has been set now. Hopefully more unions will have the courage shown by the WRU.

Not a patch on the Aussie response at the Tri-nations though.

Why should home Unions respect the Haka when the ABs clearly have no repsect for their hosts?

But before anyone gets on their high horses, I think anthems should be disposed of also. Why not just get the players out onto the field and play the bloody game instead of freezing their asses off?

aoa321

mikedragon32 wrote:

Not a patch on the Aussie response at the Tri-nations though.

What was the Aussie response to the haka at the Tri-Nations ?

mikedragon32

aoa321 wrote:

What was the Aussie response to the haka at the Tri-Nations ?

The coaching staff brought tacklebags onto the pitch and the squad went through a few tackle drills while the ABs stood around in confusion.

CJhaughey

crybaby wrote:

the all-blacks refused to perform the haka on the pitch because the Welsh wanted to respond to the haka with their national anthem or a different song which seems entirely fair to me so I don't know why Richie McCaw is crying about it

The issue was that the Welsh(Blazers) wanted the Haka to be performed between the anthems not after them.
They had no issue about the welsh singing bread of heaven or any other song after the haka, it was to do with the haka being between the anthems.
Oh and the IRB has already ruled that in the WC the normal procedure has to be followed.
Anthems-Haka-KO.
It is up to whatever union is hosting the game to decide on whether they want to allow the fans to see the haka or not.
The AB's said that they have no issue with the haka not being performed publicly but that the paying public might want to see it performed live.
The whole thing is quite frankly silly, most rugby fans enjoy the haka for what it is; a piece of theatre that adds colour to what is a great sport.
Without it Rugby is a poorer spectacle, you have to admit that the PI haka was a pretty good piece of theatre and fair dues to the IRFU they wouldn't dream of stopping it or asking it to be performed between the anthems.
It just shows the welsh administrators up as small minded and petty.

Webbs

Why are the welsh administrators any more petty minded than their NZ counterparts. The NZ admin were told months ago that the Haka was to be performed between the anthems.

It could equally be seen that it was NZ throwing their toys out of the pram on the day and assuming that they have some god given right to perform the haka last.

Wales consulted a Maori professor to check if it was Ok to have a response of the anthem following the haka, and was told that was fine.

To be honest I don't think either sides admin comes out of this smelling of roses

CJhaughey

I accept that both sides looked stupid for this.
However when you look at the PI's haka and the fact that they were allowed to perform it just before KO and contrast it with the AB's not being allowed to it just looks rediculous and petty.
Regardless of the IRFU and their strange ways I could never see them allowing the same thing to happen here,Likewise the English and French and Italians.
So the ODD men out are who? in the NH.

Webbs

Point is they were allowed to do the Haka.

To me the more childish viewpoint is that they won't let another team respond to the challenge before the game starts.

And don't get me started on why they come out and say in that case they would do it in the privacy of the changing room and then invite a sky camerman in!!

foz_e_bear

Petty or not...anything to annoy the ABs before a game (not that it did any good) is okay with me...Jeez we all know they are the best team in the world, but knocking a little off their All Black Arrogance can't be wrong, can it?

"All Blacks welcome to the Millenium Stadium...you're in our country play by our rules...like it or lump it...thank you very much !"

Anyway anyone who's been to Wales for a rugby match will agree the home fans make it so enjoyeable before a match, with renditions of well sung songs, that you wouldn't need a haka for pre-match entertainment.

zAbbo

This story is still going after a college team in America had to ditch the haka for fear of infringing the AB's haka - http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0500rugbyunion/0200news/tm_headline=haka-controversy-rages-on-%2D%2D%2D-in-hawaii-%26method=full%26objectid=18189625%26siteid=50082-name_page.html

Chucky the tree

foz_e_bear wrote:

Petty or not...anything to annoy the ABs before a game (not that it did any good) is okay with me...Jeez we all know they are the best team in the world, but knocking a little off their All Black Arrogance can't be wrong, can it?

It certainly wasnt good for the welsh.

poobum

il gatto wrote:

If we change the rules for people because they're really good, where do we stop?

dosent the world do this already? mount of refs who wont peanalise or card the ab's just because of who they are is rediculous!

Chucky the tree

Yep, sure you'd never see a ref give Richie McCarw a yellow card for example..

daveirl

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Chucky the tree

i know, sarcasim.

daveirl

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Crash

That ref was fantastic - who was it?

il gatto

poobum wrote:

dosent the world do this already? mount of refs who wont peanalise or card the ab's just because of who they are is rediculous!

Yeah, but there's not much you can do about referee's without whining to the media. This was something Wales could put a stop to, and did. Fair play to them. The All Blacks are not world rugby. More refs like the one in the Wales match would go a long way to levelling the playing field.

Chucky the tree

like giving them penalty tries once a game aswell? Th ref wasnt great. As soon as McCaw was sent off the AB's kept at it. And refs very rarely have the balls to bin 2 players from the same team.

Sangre

But he was a lot better than most who ref the ABs.

Crash

He was one of the first refs to call offside, and call offside regularly. fair dues to him for that.

and you know what, it didn't slow down the game ONE TINY BIT. i've had numerous conversations with people who when I raised that point complained that it'd slow down the game a lot - it won't. provided you have a ref that knows when to play advantage and when to blow up, its not a problem at all. and if it slows it down after that, then its not the ref's problem, its a team issue. and the IRB should take a stance on that.

daveirl

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Trojan

aoa321 wrote:

What was the Aussie response to the haka at the Tri-Nations ?

All Blacks in haka 'backdown'

SMH wrote:

Richie McCaw had said the All Blacks would always perform whichever version felt right for the All Blacks, regardless of the opposition, and denied a suggestion his side wouldn't unleash it on the Wallabies out of respect for their arch-rivals.

Hence, most in the sellout crowd of more than 52,000 spectators were stunned when the All Blacks performed the traditional Ka Mate haka.

Incredibly, immediately after doing the honourable thing by the Wallabies on their home turf, the Australian team left the All Blacks waiting for the kick-off for more than two minutes while they continued warming up with tackle bags.

It was a bizarre approach from the home side and seemed disrespectful of their opponents.

The haka issue had dominated the build-up to the first Bledisloe Cup clash in Brisbane in 10 years and, regardless which form the All Blacks adopted, set the scene for a classic trans-Tasman showdown.

It always seems to be about the haka, eh?