Perenara’s controversial gesture was added to post-match with several teammates posing with a Tino Rangatiratanga flag.
The actions may lead to a potential alienation of fans who view the All Blacks as a unifying force, not a political platform.
Critics warn that such actions risk diluting the team’s iconic global brand, which has long been celebrated for its discipline, tradition, and focus on excellence, transcending divisive issues.
Passionate debate on X followed, with thousands of long-time rugby union fans expressing their disappointment, while others predicting the actions will tank the All Blacks brand in yet another case of going “woke and broke”.
Passionate debate on X followed, with thousands of long-time rugby union fans expressing their disappointment, while others predicting the actions will tank the All Blacks brand in yet another case of going “woke and broke”.
When I heard TJ Perenara start speaking about the hikoi and the unity of Maori, I thought “you really need to stick to rugby”. Maori are hardly unified.
So the ABs are not representing NZ anymore, just the flag with a scribble on it. There goes my support as I am a New Zealander.
Reminds me of “Black Lives Matter” this thing has external influence written all over it. I kept saying it’s starting to look like another CIA umbrella revolution. The government needs to cut them to size in time.
@NZRugby what do you have to say to your diehard rugby fans for this political stunt and the haka at the beginning of KA mate, because what you have done is made the haka WOKE
AB management need to get this sh*t under control, it has the potential do big damage to their brand
Fkn c**ts!! Management the coaches RugbyNz need to go fk themselves and not us!!!!
People are losing interest in the AB’s anyway. Let this be another knock to their popularity.
Hope sponsors withdraw funding
I think they just lost me.
Go woke go broke all blacks
So they were woke and dumb after all. Next a Jaguar style commercial? Why help radicals like TJ divide NZ? We need to be united to remain competitive.
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Daily Telegraph New Zealand (DTNZ) is an independent news website, first published in October 2021. - where this article was sourced.
11 comments:
I didn't see this, but certainly after sports teams "took the knee" in support of Black Lives Matter", and all the murders, looting, assaults (which ironically were largely against black people), I stopped watching them as a matter of principle.
Indeed the All Blacks represent the country known as New Zealand as do any sport or sportsperson representing this country.
What they are NOT categorically is anyones personal political platform and the RBNZ need to get this one back in its box AND make a clear public statement that this will not happen again EVER.
If they fail they will lose their customers some clearly overnight but eventually as it becomes less about the sport and more about a political ideology that denigrates democracy then more and more until they are broke.
A stupid action by a stupid dork with a mullet and a brain that has had too many concussions. It's hard to imagine what the Italian crowd thought about such a pathetic exhibition. It is akin to Italian rugby players in NZ giving a Fascist salute as in Mussolini's time, and singing some patriotic song. Pointless.
I won't be supporting the all blacks anymore. The do the haka so seriously when it is meant to be just a fun thing. All that tongue poking and arrogance is just embarassing now. Time for the haka to be gone from rugby games. Why do the all blacks think they are more special than other teams?
What an excellent way to make complete fools of the whole team, the administration and the country on the world stage. Suggest that they all start job hunting.
Beware - such "experts" have big influence on gullible people in the new " dumbed-down" NZ.
Ridiculous.
Maybe okay for the (racist) Maori All Blacks, even if it falsely suggests Maori are a unified body
But the All Blacks seeming to throw in their lot with 40-65,000 of NZ vs the majority in support of apartheid and a enthno-state?!?? Honestly 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Gosh it puts it into perspective. Bit like someone having a tantrum because they've been denied their 'specialness'. People see it for what it is though. Yes, you've got a feirce look and big muscles. Are you going to come and get us?
This propensity for Maori (or part thereof) men to demonstrate how long their tongues are - is that to impress their women?
The early All Blacks did the haka for fun but the fun has long gone out of it and valid criticism of it from every country they "play" in is never printed in our media. Bizarre antics with threats to kill is hardly in the spirit of the game. The saving grace is that none of the thousands who watch would understand it nor do most New Zealanders.
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