Before the Rugby Championship match in Johannesburg between South Africa and New Zealand on Saturday, August 31, fireworks and music disrupted the end of the All Blacks’ haka. The South African Rugby Union has apologised to its New Zealand counterpart for the incident, which has been accepted.
The incident occurred “due to scheduling difficulties and simple human error,” SA Rugby chairman Rian Oberholzer said in a statement on September 2. “It was never our intention to schedule something to coincide with such an iconic moment in a match against the All Blacks. This unfortunate incident in no way represents any disrespect by South African rugby for the importance and history of the haka,” he added.
The All Blacks, for their part, said the interruptions were not interpreted as a sign of disrespect. “In all honesty, sometimes there is a bit of chaos” around the Haka, All Blacks assistant coach Jason Ryan told New Zealand media in Cape Town.
Applause misinterpreted
Before each match, New Zealand players perform the haka, a traditional Maori warrior dance involving striking the chest or thighs at their opponents. The haka, which dates back to the “Original” All Blacks’ first tour of Europe in 1905, is performed after the national anthems and just before the match kicks off.
The Men in Black’s choreography is usually anticipated and respected by the public, but the final moments of the haka at Ellis Park were mixed with music, fireworks and a jet flying over the stadium.
According to South African accounts, a sound engineer wrongly interpreted the applause of the approximately 62,000 spectators as a signal that the haka was over and restarted the music.
In sporting terms, South Africa won 31-27. A new confrontation is scheduled for Sunday, September 8 in Cape Town.
- RMC Sport
