Too Much Haka?

[rowan]

Personally I'd go along with most of this. I have Maori whanau and have visited marae on a number of occasions and seen traditional haka and it didn't look anything like the ultra-hyped war dance we see before All Blacks matches today. Fine if it helps sell the game and draw attention to Maori culture, but not if it's going to drain the players and even entice hostility as it has done from time to time at age-grade level. Neither does the modern version resemble the haka of the amateur era, in fact, when it was only performed before tests on tour - and least of all those of the pre-TV age. I'd also agree with Meads on its over-use. Schoolboys dropping a haka on the slightest pretext and getting the video clip circulated on social media was probably not what Ngati Toa Chief Te Rauparaha had in mind when he composed Ka Mate after escaping from his enemies in the Waikato two centuries ago. I'd stop short of dispensing with haka before home tests, however. If anybody should get to see the All Blacks performing the haka live, it's the Kiwis themselves, surely.

In an extract from the book, ex-All Blacks Sir Colin Meads and Kees Meeuws reveal their own frustrations about the use of the haka.
"They haka everything now," says Sir Colin. "Some dignitary or sports person turns up or a film star at the airport and they haka them.
"It is ridiculous. I think it has become a celebrity thing. All the schools practise it.
"It should be done before games but as a form of respect to the Māori. We were haka-ed out there for a while and still are."
Meeuws says, "It has lost its mana.
"It has become a showpiece. They should do it at certain test matches but not all.
"It was good a few years ago when they had a choice. But now they play 14 test matches a year, and that's too much as far as the haka is concerned. We should either have it at home or just away from home like it used to be, not both."
All Blacks mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka claims many players have said they're "haka-ed out".

Continues here: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/20 ... -haka.html

[cashead]

Who gives a shit? It's some shit book by some journo, and some shitty news outlets are using it to "create discussion" (translation: it's a slow newsweek, and we really need to publish this clickbait shit for the ad revenue). Do I even really need to mention that it's a white English guy trying to lecture Maori about their cultural displays?

As for Meads, I wonder what would've coloured his perception about the haka.

[rowan]

Always have to laugh when someone joins a conversation only to say nobody gives a shit about the conversation You do see the irony in that...

In fact, it seems to be quite topical right now, and while Meeuws is Maori himself, Pinetree's view is also very relevant due to his long involvement with the game and iconic status among all New Zealanders (Maori T V described him as a pillar for both worlds).

It also appears to be a somewhat polarizing. Here Hansen disagrees: https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all ... t-its-mana

Hansen said his playing group held a strong understanding of the haka and its values.

"We understand that it's not for anybody else other than ourselves and we draw a lot from it," Hansen said.

But are New Zealanders ready for the All Blacks without the haka?

[morepork]

It does smack of the old click bait. I think it is overdone, not by the ABs, but by commercial interests. It would be less of an issue if Te Reo was formalised in education in NZ so we could nurture cultural education without having to rely on the "Addidas All Blacks" for a frame of reference. How many Kiwis under the age of 20 can even count to 10 in Maori?

[Doorzetbornandbred]

It does smack of the old click bait. I think it is overdone, not by the ABs, but by commercial interests. It would be less of an issue if Te Reo was formalised in education in NZ so we could nurture cultural education without having to rely on the "Addidas All Blacks" for a frame of reference. How many Kiwis under the age of 20 can even count to 10 in Maori?

rua maybe toru

[morepork]

Boom.

[rowan]

I have to say I'm glad its moved on from the hippy version of the 70s, however

[rowan]

Here's the current players' perspective on the official All Blacks web site:

After All Blacks' coach Steve Hansen's defence of the haka on Sunday, flanker Sam Cane said: "The only article I've seen around it was on Kees Meeuws and we've been informed that unfortunately he was misquoted so that's a shame.

"But from an All Blacks point of view we love doing the haka. We do a light run through at captain's run and then we bust it out on Saturday and it's like the final touches of we're ready to go.

"We're well aware of the strong history that it has and it's part of who we are as All Blacks – it's as strong and powerful as ever, in my opinion," he said.

Fullback/wing Ben Smith didn't believe the haka was overdone and said it was still a tradition to do it before each Test.

"It's our tradition, it's our history," he said.

"That's just the way we prepare for a Test match. I think it's a massive privilege to be able to do the haka and it would be odd if we weren't to do that before a game."

Meanwhile, the Wallabies said they understood the role of the haka in Maori and New Zealand culture.

Halfback Will Genia said he didn't believe the haka was over-commercialised.

"They don't do it for commercial purpose. They do it because it is something that is important to them in terms of their culture.

"From our perspective, we have an incredible amount of respect for it," he said.

http://www.allblacks.com/News/32831/tra ... ce-of-haka