Ka Mate or Kapa O Pango, the haka has had its day

Maurice Smyth, who writes from Auckland about New Zealand for overseas newspapers, thinks the haka may be on the wane in All Blacks' rugby. What do you think?
When I spot a haka these days, I study my nails. I'm fed up watching it and reading about it. New Zealand, in my view, has too often confused it with a hangi and overcooked it to a frazzle. The last Commonwealth Games was the start of a slippery slope. Talkback hosts and callers got lippy and snide: ''They'd haka the opening of a door!'' It did the dignity and mana of Maori no good to hear repeatedly over the airwaves ''enough for goodness' sake!'' These days, a new version is confused about whether it's throat-slitting or life-enhancing. Whatever do overseas rugby fans make of it all? I've been to many formal ceremonies within Maoridom and was brought up to show respect, but these days my tea leaves tell me the halcyon haka days of big-time rugby are ebbing. The haka is fortunate to have been introduced to the game a century or so ago because I don't believe it would make it to first base today. Say, for example, I was coach or manager of a hosting, or a visiting, international side, and an All Blacks' official took me aside to say something like this: ''Here's the thing. We have a special ceremony in our country and we'd like to show it to you. It's a sort of Maori war-dance and it's meant to challenge and intimidate you just before the first whistle. ''We'll belt into it and all you have to do is tell the lads to line up and pay attention because if you don't . . . well, that would be culturally disrespectful. Okay?'' When I'd caught my breath, I guess my response would be: ''You can haka your heart out ? to the cameras, the press box, the terraces. But I'll be over there watching my team warm up. ''We're not here for the entertainment. Our challenge comes after the first whistle.'' My respect would be shown as a generous host or honoured guest but not during a one-sided, pre-match sideshow. Wouldn't have a bar of being given a wind-up like that, throat-slitting or not. Seriously, would you?