General Rugby Union Discussion

On the East Coast....Captain Cook named it Poverty Bay...can't remember why.

 

Maori didn't give him food.

 

Sounds about right.

 

Lol. That probably took more out of them than the game. Ridiculous

 

Happily. The Haka has become a blight on the game

 

It is no longer tradition, it is an advertising stunt. It has gone too far imo. The extent where teams get fined and penalized for challenging it, home or away. Feckin ridiculous.

Any arguments for tradition, before they start, should look up the meaning of it and history of the All Blacks Haka

 

It has gone OTT. Don't you agree?

When my country gets fined for not moving on their own turf.
When my country and fans get penalized by NZ throwing their teddies out the pram like a bunch of girls and refusing to do it on the pitch because Wales request to do their anthem after the haka on their own pitch.
When France get fined for using an arrow head formation
When the Haka is not tradition as half of them are not Maori
When the current Haka, which is apparently tradition is sold for advertising and misused surely?

When you compare the current and recent performances of it to the past, it has gone wayyy ott.
So are as far as I am concerned, despite being very happy with my life, successfully leaving school for instance, which frankly I'd be amazed if the majority of people do on here considering the majority feel the need to finish a post by being derogatory and lowering to name calling, a valid point against my opinion is still non existent. So I guess I am not the muppet/dickhead etc...

 

It is probably worth spelling it out very clearly...

I am not against the Haka, I would never be against any tradition or belief of any culture. But the Haka within rugby has become a blight on the game by going too far, in many respects. I would be happy for it to continue within rugby, but I sadly believe it has gone past the point of no return now and it will forever be a commercial entity, not traditional or cultural.

I am not against the Haka and the Haka is not the NZ All Blacks, which a lot of people seem to think when discussing it, which pretty much says it all

 

I think the Haka gives NZ an advantage - I have stood on the other side of the field when a team just did an intimidating song - not even a haka - and that gave them the edge.

Only reason France came close to beating us in the final is that they challenged the haka. After that it was game on.

 

Fair enough. But they must be treading a fine line with pushing it a bit too far with the All Blacks, the advertisements, even to the extent of gingerbread doing it. I know it is a bit of fun, but for traditional value and cultural value it does not send out a good message.

The fines are ridiculous and the protection that it gets brings me back to its commercial standing and value. I just think it is all wrong. I'd never want to see the haka removed, but I want it to be done for the right reasons and that would allow responses from other countries too.

As long as the people in the schools, the kids playing rugby continue to value it and respect it and not see it as I am, it'll all be good I'm sure. Is it ever a worry in NZ the road it is going down? I guess it is more difficult to see it that way when you feel a part of it.

 

I think it does so naturally tbh. You see the majority of teams try and take the sting out of, where as others try to contest it. France and Wales like to get right into it for instance.

General argument is if NZ can get that edge before kick off and after the home anthem, then anything goes. But it doesn't and I know from many discussion in Cardiff with NZ fans (often the best banter) the majority love it when teams get stuck in, especially as they still win and can throw it at you in the pub!