New Zealand’s famous haka war dance was in danger of losing its potency because it was being performed too often at this year’s Rugby World Cup, South Africa coach Peter de Villiers warned on Monday.
The eye-rolling, foot-stomping Maori challenge, entitled Ka Mate, has been performed before Test matches by the All Blacks since 1905, becoming an integral part of the international rugby landscape.
But during the tournament, groups using social media such as Facebook to organise themselves have performed so-called “flash haka” displays in parks, shopping centres and streets across New Zealand.
International rugby teams in the country for the World Cup have also been greeted by numerous haka at official functions and school visits.
De Villiers said New Zealanders risked over-exposing the haka as they host this year’s tournament, diminishing its significance.
“For me, about the World Cup especially, there is too many haka around,” he told the Dominion Post newspaper. “It is unique, to me, and is losing its intensity, but that is only me.
“People are becoming so used to it. It is not a novelty any more and they don’t respect it.”
‘Total overkill’
One of the flash haka performances, at an Auckland shopping mall earlier in September, has attracted more than a million hits on file-sharing site YouTube.
Maori rugby historian Malcolm Mulholland said it was a wonderful way to display New Zealand’s indigenous culture to the world
“They are organised by Maori, exhibit Maori culture, are being done in a modern way and get crowds to stop what they’re doing and appreciate an aspect of Maori culture,” he said.
However, there were signs of haka-fatigue elsewhere, with online commentator “John” backing de Villiers’ stance in remarks posted on New Zealand’s 3News website.
“It’s an interesting little dance but, man, it’s total overkill,” he wrote.
“You can’t cross the road without someone doing a haka. Its just getting to be a bit of a yawn.”
Never turn away
The haka is traditionally only performed by men and British pop group The Spice Girls were labelled culturally insensitive in 1997 when they did an impromptu version during a concert in Bali.
A New Zealand bakery chain also came under fire for a 2007 commercial featuring animated gingerbread men with squeaky voices doing the haka.
Opposing teams have tried various methods of responding to the All Blacks’ challenge, sometimes serving only to spur on the New Zealanders with a perceived slight to the haka.
In 1989, Ireland captain Willie Anderson linked arms with his teammates at Landsdowne Road and led them forward so they were within eye-ball-to-eyeball with the All Blacks, going on to lose 23-6.
Australia turned their backs to the haka during a 1996 Bledisloe Cup clash in Wellington and were downed 43-6.
In recent years, the International Rugby Board (IRB) has ruled that the team facing the haka must stay at least 10m from the half-way line. — AFP
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