Holy haka batman

[Burgs]

FFS, I used to enjoy the haka but I honestly couldn't care less any more.
Piss the whole thing off if they are going to be so damn precious!

"...that while New Zealand rugby teams lay down the challenge, opposition teams are expected to stand motionless and make no reaction..."

Wallabies face fine for any haka high jinks before Bledisloe Test

Greg Growden
September 10, 2010

THE Wallabies have been warned that disrespecting the All Blacks' haka could result in a fine from the International Rugby Board.

The ARU was recently forced to pay a £1000 ($1677) fine to Rugby World Cup Limited after the Wallaroos, Australia's women's rugby team, advanced on the Black Ferns mid-haka before their World Cup pool match in England last month.

Shortly after the match, won by New Zealand 32-5, the ARU received a letter from the Women's World Cup tournament director, based at the IRB headquarters in Dublin, explaining that the conduct of the Wallaroos was in breach of tournament rules.

It has been made clear by international rugby's ruling body that while New Zealand rugby teams lay down the challenge, opposition teams are expected to stand motionless and make no reaction.

This is far from the first time the haka has caused problems between the two teams.

The 1996 Wallabies upset many New Zealanders when before the Wellington Test they decided to turn their backs on the haka and instead warmed up at the other end of Athletic Park. The tactic, which did not have the full support of the Australian players that day but was driven by team management, didn't work as the Wallabies suffered their biggest loss to the All Blacks - a 43-6 thrashing.

In 2006, the then Wallabies coach John Connolly led a call for a ban on one version of the haka, which involved the New Zealand players making a gesture of throat-slitting. Connolly described the throat-slitting motion as irresponsible, with its ''murderous'' connotations sending the wrong message to society. All Blacks coach Graham Henry reacted by calling the Australian stance ''arrogant'' and ''pathetic''.

At least former Wallabies back-rower, Sam Scott-Young, took a more humorous approach in 1992 when he kissed and winked at his New Zealand opponents during the haka.

[James]

Load of crap isn't it Burgs. I blame the IRB for making legislation about it.

[zimeric]

absolutely disgraceful! the Haka is a New Zealand tradition ... tell me what is the difference between Australia or South Africa moving forward and Fiji or Samoa doing thier challenges at the same time as the Haka?

its commonly perceived that the Haka is used by the all blacks to psych themselves up before the game.. why should other teams be forced to stand and watch?

[Swee_82]

It's been a bit of a bug-bear of mine for a while that the Haka has to go 'unchallenged', and that moves to stand up to it are deemed disrespectful.

Also wonder how having Women performing the Haka isn't disrespectful- of course I don't know the ins and outs of tradiaitonal Maori law, but I think that one's up there.

[jombi]

I'm with all of you, I think it's fine and dandy is they want to advance, or turn around or even do some stretches in their own goal. It just means they're going to lose by 50!

The IRB should back off though, leave it on the field.

[The InnFORCEr]

It's been a bit of a bug-bear of mine for a while that the Haka has to go 'unchallenged', and that moves to stand up to it are deemed disrespectful.

Also wonder how having Women performing the Haka isn't disrespectful- of course I don't know the ins and outs of tradiaitonal Maori law, but I think that one's up there.

History
Although the use of a haka by the All Blacks rugby union team has made one type of haka familiar, it has led to misconceptions. [3] Haka are not exclusively war dances, nor are they only performed by men.[4] Some are performed by women, others by mixed groups, and some simple haka are performed by children. Haka are performed for various reasons: for amusement, as a hearty welcome to distinguished guests, or to acknowledge great achievements or occasions (McLean 1996:46-47). War haka (peruperu) were originally performed by warriors before a battle, proclaiming their strength and prowess in order to intimidate the opposition. Today, haka constitute an integral part of formal or official welcome ceremonies for distinguished visitors or foreign dignitaries, serving to impart a sense of the importance of the occasion.

Various actions are employed in the course of a performance, including facial contortions such as showing the whites of the eyes and the poking out of the tongue, and a wide variety of vigorous body actions such as slapping the hands against the body and stamping of the feet. As well as chanted words, a variety of cries and grunts are used. Haka may be understood as a kind of symphony in which the different parts of the body represent many instruments. The hands, arms, legs, feet, voice, eyes, tongue and the body as a whole combine to express courage, annoyance, joy or other feelings relevant to the purpose of the occasion.


from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haka

[Burgs]

The day they did it in their Welsh changerooms was the day they lost any credability as to it being about tradition, respect and a challenge and not being about a pump up with me.

"You just sit there and get ranted at while we get hyper and don't you dare do anything as that will just make us more hyper...
And I know we only used to do it when we were away, but it is pretty damn effective so now we will do it when you visit us too, so you just stand there and shiver a bit longer in this shitty weather we have put on for you...no, no, don't you now go and warm up again, we'll get angry. And next time, if you don't mind, can you take your tracksuits off before we do our little dance too please, otherwise we'll ask the IRB to enforce it anyway..." FFS

[blueandblack]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW9nLK5PHqg"]YouTube - NZ vs. Tonga - Ka Mate vs. Sipi Tau[/ame]

[jombi]

The day they did it in their Welsh changerooms was the day they lost any credability as to it being about tradition, respect and a challenge and not being about a pump up with me.

FFS

That was political though, WRU wanted them to do it after their anthem and before the Welsh.

There is no doubt that it is about pumping themselves up and drawing from their ancestors Mana, but as all the wallabies who have faced it say, it pumps them up just as much to accept the challenge.

[Swee_82]

History
Although the use of a haka by the All Blacks rugby union team has made one type of haka familiar, it has led to misconceptions. [3] Haka are not exclusively war dances, nor are they only performed by men.[4] Some are performed by women, others by mixed groups, and some simple haka are performed by children. Haka are performed for various reasons: for amusement, as a hearty welcome to distinguished guests, or to acknowledge great achievements or occasions (McLean 1996:46-47). War haka (peruperu) were originally performed by warriors before a battle, proclaiming their strength and prowess in order to intimidate the opposition. Today, haka constitute an integral part of formal or official welcome ceremonies for distinguished visitors or foreign dignitaries, serving to impart a sense of the importance of the occasion.

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haka

Fair 'Nuff... withdrawn.
Blame the Skippy education-that's just what they told us when we were suppossed to be learning about "dance/performance" (can't think of the right word) from different cultures.

[beige]

I'm with all of you, I think it's fine and dandy is they want to advance, or turn around or even do some stretches in their own goal. It just means they're going to lose by 50!

The IRB should back off though, leave it on the field.

Agreed.

I'll add that we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that the haka is a big drawcard for our game and gets it coverage in places and with people that normally wouldn't care. Personally I love it but it's a tradition that's developed organically and not something that should be legislated.

[Hansie]

Can anyone tell me why the N.Z. Soccer team or Netball team don't perform the haka or equivalent? Is it totally reserved for Rugby?

If so...let's live with it, another tradition specific to our most magnificent game.

[beige]

The "Tall Blacks" do one...

[MI5_Dog]

As naive as this may be as a question but what's stopping the Australians doing a Corroboree lead by one of the indigenous players?

[The InnFORCEr]

As naive as this may be as a question but what's stopping the Australians doing a Corroboree lead by one of the indigenous players?

The iRB