How Rude.

I'm not quite sure where I stand on the haka. In principle I would like to approve but I think the All Blacks see it as their right to intimidate their opponents by performing ever more tasteless versions of the dance and then get all precious when anybody has the effrontery either to reply in kind or, most heinous of crimes, to laugh at the pomposity of it all. And now I've seen the Silver Ferns (which seems to be the collective nomenclature of the NZ women's team) do their rather more decorous rendition of the haka. This preceded their demolition of South Africa's young side in the WRWC shown on Sky this afternoon. I quite liked this rather prim offering but unfortunately the New Zealanders found another way to upset me.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I have long been a fervent admirer of the New Zealand method of rugby, most particularly the good old fashioned and brutal school of rucking so the style of the Silver Ferns' victory did not offend me. No what pissed me off was their behaviour at the end of the match. The players systematically hugged each of their teammates and utterly ignored the South Africans who had to slope off looking mildly bewildered. Bloody rude. Bloody arrogant. Much more fitting was the conduct at the end of the next match (on which I will blog separately) between England and Ireland. No style marks I'm afraid for New Zealand. A temporary aberration? Let's hope so.