A LEADING MAORI politician has branded as “insulting” an attempt by a British menswear chain to use former England international Matt Dawson to create its own haka ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
In, what must be assumed to be an attempt to go viral, Jacamo and Dawson blend the actions of Ka Mate — the most widely known haka – with the dance moves of early 90s one-hit wonder ‘The Macarena’.
However, Sir Pita Sharples, a former co-leader of the Maori Party, said the video was both disrespectful to his people’s culture and completely missed the point of the All Blacks’ traditional pre-match routine.
“The haka is done as a way of honouring the enemy,” he told the New Zealand Herald.
“You don’t do it in those sorts of circumstances — you do it if you’re up for a challenge.
“By doing a haka as the All Blacks do, it’s recognising the worth of the other side. So if they’re doing something to mock the haka, then I think that’s pretty shameful.”
He’s not the only one unhappy with the video:
