Quite right, Brendan, don’t indulge All Blacks

I couldn’t agree more with Brendan Gallagher’s suggestion that we must stop indulging the All Blacks and their haka.

He missed a couple of points however.

Firstly, the ABs always claim that the performance of the haka last is tradition!

Well, the fact is, originally they only performed it during certain select games when away on tour, for example the Tests they played and certain club games.

At that time, they never performed it at home until 1986!

Secondly, the ABs haka has not always been performed ‘last’ as claimed.

In 1905, Wales responded to the challenge by singing Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, thereby starting what is now a tradition of singing one’s national anthem at international games in a wide variety of sports.

Ritual: The All Blacks perform the haka before facing Argentina

Their haka is so precious they have used at least five different versions.

There is the Ka Mate version (which has increased in length over the years), the Tena Koe Kangaru, Ko Niu Tireni, Kapa O Pango (the throat slitting one) and the Ko Ūhia Mai (favoured by the Silver Ferns).

And we never know which one they are going to do until they line up and start.

World Rugby have also decreed that opposition teams stand a reasonable distance away and just watch!

Past actions such as David Campese retiring to his own 22m area to kick the ball around until the dance is finished, Donal Lenihan leading Ireland linked arms in a march towards them, France’s V shaped advance or Richard Cockerill eyeballing Norman Hewitt are frowned upon and trouble lurks for any country failing to observe quiet acceptance of this ludicrous spectacle.

Other Versions

And if, which I doubt, the haka is so special to the team, why aren’t the Fijians, Tongans or Samoans allowed to do their Cibi, Sipi Tau or Siva Tau last when they play New Zealand.

Surely their versions are just as important to them as the haka is to the Kiwis.

There is no justification for New Zealand’s dance taking precedence over their Pacific Island brethrens’! But it does.

I have watched New Zealand play dozens of times.

The only time I can remember showing any interest in the haka spectacle was in 2008 when Wales’ ingenious stand-off raised the hairs on the necks of everyone present in the Millennium Stadium. But, guess what?

You can’t even do that anymore because NZ didn’t like it!

Get rid of it! As Brendan suggested, it only serves to give the ABs a psychological advantage before a ball is kicked.

Dai Evans