New Zealand coach Scott Robertson insisted the haka is part of “who we are” after Joe Marler attempted to stir up controversy before the All Blacks play England on Saturday.
England prop Marler, who is not playing the Twickenham Test, took to social media earlier this week to deride the haka dance performed by New Zealand players before each game, saying it “needs binning”.
Haka are ritual war dances that form a significant part of indigenous Maori culture, and for decades have been closely associated with the All Blacks, long one of rugby union’s leading international teams.
Robertson, speaking at New Zealand’s team hotel in London on Thursday after naming the All Blacks team to faceEngland, said: “I know Joe. I wonder if he wish he could have articulated himself a little bit better on that.
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“The haka for us is a custom. It is part of who we are, our DNA. You can welcome somebody, it is for celebrations, for joy, and also for challenge. We use it as a challenge.”
He added: “We believe it is a great tradition of rugby, as it is for all Pacific nations. It honours where they have come from. It is not just about the All Blacks, it is about us as a country. It means a lot to us…The crowd enjoy it, don’t they? It is a special occasion.”
How opposition teams should respond to the haka has long been a thorny topic.
However, Robertson said he had no issue with the way England lined up in an arrowhead formation ahead of their 2019 World Cup semi-final in Japan – the last time England beat New Zealand.
“Awesome,” said Robertson. “There was a clear meaning behind it and was respectfully done. That’s what we are all about.”
Although Marler’s comments caused a stir in the English media, many New Zealanders brushed it off as an attention-seeking stunt.
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Anton Geyser/Anton Geyser Media
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