More bleating from out of England....

[GIGS20]

James ever been to a Bledisloe in Sydney? Matilda gets belted out straight after the haka, and it's actually quite an expierance to hear 80k Sydney Siders in full voice. More of this stuff would be good for the game. The Scots, Welsh, and French have it all over us when it comes to building atmosphere ... you simply don't get this from any other sport with the possible exception of soccer (football for the Euros).

OK, can we do it at Dunedin then?

Until this is the case, a team can perform their cultural ritual in a kiwi stadium, with the full backing of the rugby establishment in NZ the haka will always be a special privilege afforded to islander teams (and New Zealand) that to me makes it a ceremony that the all blacks have very little right to be so precious about. don't get me wrong, i don't mind the haka at all, it looks pretty and it's usually pretty entertaining to watch a bunch of tough rugby players performing an interpretive dance before the game. What really fries my potatoes is the way New Zealand seem to think they have a divine right to perform it and then deny that right to other teams. If they were not the insecure chokers that they are they wouldn't really care whether we respected their traditions. Wallabies by 12 in the semi final, we'll watch them dance and then beat them at rugby.

[jono]

I'm tipping there are alot of people world wide who just thinks the haka looks awesome and consequently we should keep it...if i could think of anything equally as cool for the aussie's to do i'd let them...but i can't...thus i don't care that we don't have an equivalent. I'm happy to let the kiwi's jump up and down and scream at us...i'm not sure it is quite as scary and intimidating as its cracked up to be

weve got waltzing matilda
everyone loves a good song about a sheep theif who drowns himself...

[travelling_gerry]

weve got waltzing matilda
everyone loves a good song about a sheep theif who drowns himself...

For a bit of Trivia....what was that sheep thiefs first name?

[jazza93]

who cares about some poms blog anyway

[Burgs]

Incorrect, if brought up in kiwiland you are well aware of Maori culture. There's a lot more integration and acceptance of our indigenous culture in New Zealand than what the kooris receive in Australia.

Awareness, integration and acceptance are three very different things from being a Maori or other ethnic group.
There are plenty of Kiwi's I have met that aren't as holistic in their acceptance of Maori culture as you would like to portray.
Have a look around the crowd during the first verse of God Defend New Zealand and hear the lift in volume for the second verse if you want to find some evidence.
Also, and being a well adjusted chap I'm sure it isn't deliberate, Koori is a specific tribal group on the East Coast, not an all inclusive term for Australian Aboriginals as a whole.
Kinda like calling all Polynesians Maori's because that is the most well known group in the South Pacific.
Trendoids in Sydney like to say "Koori" in their inner city cafe's because it helps them seem well versed in a topic they clearly have no knowledge of.
There are four distinct sub tribes that cross over on our station and all four would "physically object" to being called a Koori

[Burgs]

For a bit of Trivia....what was that sheep thiefs first name?

Andy...

[travelling_gerry]

Andy...

Correct.

[blueandblack]

"thief"

[James]

For a bit of Trivia....what was that sheep thiefs first name?

Well assuming his last name is Swagman, I am going with a first name of Jolly.

Once a Jolly Swagman.....

[jono]

how does anyone know his first name?

[travelling_gerry]

Its in the song...........

[frontrow]

ANDY sang, ANDY watched, as he waited by the billabong...

[jono]

lol ok then.