New Zealanders have scoffed at Joe Marler’s attempts to stir up controversy before the All Blacks play in London this weekend, after the English prop mocked their pre-game haka as “ridiculous”.
Marler 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 New Zealand’s world-beating rugby team.
Although the comments caused a stir in the English media, many New Zealanders brushed it off as an attention-seeking stunt.
“Who is this Joe Marler guy, I’ve never heard of him,” senior government minister David Seymour told reporters.
“In my experience I have met a few props with very high IQ, but very few of them. So it could be something in that area,” added Seymour, who is part Maori.
Maori cultural advisor Mana Epiha told New Zealand media that Marler obviously misunderstood the haka.
“If he doesn’t like it, that is probably a good thing,” he told news website Stuff.
“That is not for people to like, it’s for people to tremble in their boots.”
Marler later explained on X that he was “just having a bit of fun trying to spark interest in a mega fixture”, alongside a fishing emoji.
Countless critics have called for the haka to be banned over the years, alleging it gave New Zealand players an unfair pre-game edge.
New Zealand play England at Twickenham on Saturday, before Tests against Ireland, France and Italy over successive weekends.
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