Aussies criticise haka

Aussies criticise haka 'overkill'
21.03.06
By Greg Ansley

MELBOURNE - Australians have been given a blunt message from New Zealand's Commonwealth Games team - if you don't like the haka, too bad. The only way they would stop seeing it performed in Melbourne was to stop Kiwis winning any more medals, New Zealand chef de mission Dave Currie said yesterday in response to Aussie complaints of haka overkill.

"It's something that's uniquely New Zealand and I think that other countries envy us because we've got something of substance," Currie said. "Aussie, Aussie. Aussie, oi, oi, oi doesn't quite cut it."

This is not the way the national newspaper the Australian sees it. It was okay when the swimming team performed a haka after Moss Burmester's gold in the 200m butterfly. The newspaper even ran a picture and reported that it had spurred South Africa on to beat Australia in the 4x100m relay.

"To see the New Zealand team do the haka - it gave us all goosebumps," lead South African swimmer Roland Schoeman told the Australian.

Yesterday, after the series of haka after the rugby sevens gold and the New Zealand bronze in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay, the mood had changed. "Far be it for an Australian to complain about the excesses of another nation at the Commonwealth Games," reporter Wayne Smith wrote, "but someone needs to tell the New Zealanders to start rationing the haka." Smith confessed to being a fan of the haka, but he said it was being cheapened in Melbourne.

"When Moss Burmester won the 200m butterfly at the pool on the opening night of swimming, the haka performed in his honour was spine-tingling. But then the Kiwis were at it again after the women's 4x200m freestyle relay. Not to hail the new Commonwealth champions but the bronze medallists. What's more, it wasn't just the trim, toned, muscular swimmers performing it but some of the New Zealand support staff as well."

Smith wrote that the haka did not belong just to Kiwis because they had taken it to the world and the world had embraced it. "And we do not want to see the New Zealand women's gymnastics team performing it. The haka is powerful medicine, a way of welcoming honoured guests and of intimidating foes. Don't devalue it."

Currie said New Zealand's Games athletes had a clear view about the haka. "The first question is - too many for whom?" he said. He said athletes saw the haka as a way of celebrating, recognising, honouring, welcoming and sending off their teammates, and an expression of the emotions they were feeling. "The only thing that it's not is entertainment. We're not entertaining anyone. We don't do it for an audience. It's spontaneous. We don't have an issue with how many haka we do. If we win more medals, we'll do more haka."

and those aussies have the bare faced cheek to call us whinging poms ,they are the worlds worst losers.and if you tell them that they will agree ,and just say they havent had practice of losing like we have.but they must be getting the hang of it now rugby world cup,the ashes

Actually I tend to agree with the aussies.

I was getting sick of it as well.

Seems that its become some sort of "national dance" to be performed by every team that wins anything.

Big deal, .....

Talk about over exposed and over hyped. Originally the All Blacks were only going to have it on important ocasions (defined by an absence of playing England) now they do one at every match.

Its a great chant, but its so over used its losing any emotional feeling or impact on viewers.

Personally I also find it a little silly when all these whities are pounding it out as well. Especially when I suspect thats the only words, and the only Maori cultural item they know.

Well, Smith potentially has a point if they're doing the haka at the drop of the hat (e.g. for a bronze medal). As much as I love the haka, I can imagine getting tired of it if it were done too frequently.

I'm not sure what he intended by the comment "it wasn't just the trim, toned, muscular swimmers performing it but some of the New Zealand support staff as well." Is the haka OK only if it's done by fit, slim people and not unstylish, pudgy people - or gymnasts?

Oh well. Am picking at them for my own entertainment. Besides, Stevey hasn't left himself open for a while :icon_wink: .

were the women doing the haka to ? i was allways led to believe that women were not to do it.yes i would hate to see it being over done and lose the goose bumps when you see it.i played rugby with a couple of kiwis a few years ago and we were always on there case trying to get themtodo it but they had to be very drunk before they would attempt it ,so we would respond with humpty dumpty, that realy scared them

Goose Bumps???? With a load of blokes prancing around shouting bollox at the start of a game of Egg Chasing. Hmmm interesting. Always knew it was a game for fags [smiley=icon_mrgreen.gif]

Think I'll fit in well in NZ?

DOH!!

Sounds more like you'd fit in Oz, Stevey [smiley=icon_biggrin.gif] . Prancing, shouting and egg chasing sounds a bit like Monty Python's Twit of the Year skit.

hehe perhaps.

I'm gonna single handedly make fotie NZs no 1 sport in my lifetime anyway. Can't be doing with this Rugby nonsense, it can be my bit for humanity. Already got all my 'blags' made up for when I go asking to play for some of the bigger teams out there. 'I used to play professional in Div 3 before injurring myself badly as a very youngplayer' and 'I was scouted and asked for a trial just before coming out here but told them I was emmigrating so I'd have to say no' hehe, that kind of thing. Think I stand a chance? The 'English footballer' tag just might help my chances with the lower standard over there (there's only one Kiwi playing in the English premier league).

(there's only one Kiwi playing in the English premier league).

the surpise for me in that is that there is even one..

Who, pray tell?

I was scouting about to see what the footy scene is like round masterton way.
There is a Wairarapa United who won division 1 last season and are now in the premier league, but at the bottom of division 2 was a team called Masterton Presidents.. Played 13 Won 0 Drawn 0 Lost 13 Goals for 12 Goals Against 78.
Now, In this country I would be considered a below average footballer, but I reckon I could be in with a shout of a game or two with that lot, even at the ripe old age of 35.

I'm applying a very scientific formula in my choosing of an NZ football (and rugby ) team to support..
Its based on my team here (Dundee United) who play in Tangerine and Black.
So my nz teams will be the ones that play in Tangerine and Black.
I'm looking forward to embracing the wrong shaped balls..

There was a sevens tournament down in welly a few weeks ago, and it sounded like a right laugh for the fans..
people from all over the world pitch up for this thing, and its a huge big party..
sounded fan bloody tastic..