* Debate of TJ Perenara’s controversial political pre-haka statement continues weeks after his challenge in Turin, Italy.
* Former All Blacks physio and off-field management team member Malcolm Hood argues political statements should be binned for the betterment of the team.
* New Zealand Rugby boss Mark Robinson describes that haka as “fantastic”, yet All Blacks social media account has edited out Perenara’s comments.
As rugby officials confirm the location of the All Blacks’ six home tests for 2025, a ground-breaking former All Black management group member has urged players to stop making overt political statements for the betterment of the men in black.
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) Mark Robinson has finally addressed TJ Perenara’s political statement relating to the Treaty of Waitangi while leading the haka for the final time in his 89th and final test last month.
In an interview with Heather du Plessis-Allan on Newstalk ZB, Robinson described the haka – that came just days after a hīkoi to Parliament protesting the Act Party-backed Treaty Principles Bill - as “fantastic”.
But Malcolm Hood – who was physio for both the All Blacks and the New Zealand Cavaliers in two of the most politically-charged series in New Zealand rugby history – has called for the haka and the jersey to be a “political free zone”.
Following on from earlier criticism of Perenara’s controversial pre-haka call from former All Black halfback Justin Marshall and a section of rugby fans, Hood said he was concerned such displays took away from what should be the team’s focus; performing strongly and winning.
“The haka being politicised is demonstrative of a tolerant - or lost vision? - society embracing radicalism even in the All Blacks,” Hood told the Herald.
“A formerly disciplined rugby team which used to display the best win-loss record of any team in the world is in danger of accommodating any mood change and succumbing to personal whims and fancies. Is this what we want?
“The haka and All Black Jersey should be declared a political free zone. Sport and politics may meet but do not mix.
“Setting an example, not by posturing inside that sacrosanct 100 minutes of pre-game and game time takes more discipline than bending to the public whim and being entertainers no matter how righteous one’s own conflicted ideas and dramatic displays may be.”
In the pre-haka challenge, Perenara stated: “Toitū te mana o te whenua, toitū te mana motuhake, toitū te tiriti o Waitangi”.
Translated into English, it meant: “Forever the strength of the land, forever the strength of independence, forever the Treaty of Waitangi”.
Robinson, talking two weeks on from the scrappy 29-11 win over Italy which followed the contentious haka, described the tour-ending haka to Newstalk ZB as “fantastic”.
The rugby boss said both All Blacks coach Scott Robertson and captain Scott Barrett had earlier spoken about dialogue with Perenara before he made the comments.
“This is a fantastic evolution of the sport where we are working with athletes who want to use their platform to have views on things,” Robinson told Newstalk ZB.
When asked what would happen the next time a player wanted to make a political statement, he said: “We are broadly across the conversations that happened there. But that’s for the All Blacks, the players, the team management to work through.
“And we know they have great conversations about that.”
He added: “We have to recognise this is a really interesting time in the country.”
Despite Robinson’s comments on Perenara’s political statement, the All Blacks’ official social media account has edited out the call from the version of the haka it has shared.
Just as a section of All Black fans slammed the veteran halfback for his comments, those that back him have slammed NZR for its editing of the haka it uploaded to the account.
Another example of the @NZRugby and @AllBlacks circus.
— Suit and tie (@Suitandtie9999) December 9, 2024
NZR CEO Mark Robinson describes the TJ Perenara haka as fantastic.
So fantastic, that you can’t find the unedited version of the haka on any of their social media platforms. https://t.co/gQDG3d6WcC
Meanwhile, Hood – who in 1977 became the first ever physiotherapist appointed to work with the All Blacks – said while players had every right to have their own political views, he believed they should leave them away from the team environment.
“Every rugby player will have a religious affiliation, political views, have strong beliefs of the intelligence of forwards versus backs and will even bet against each other on which spider climbs the wall the fastest,” he said.
“Learning diversity and tolerance is one of the joys of touring. What each player, All Blacks in particular subscribe to - usually - is, nothing, repeat nothing, deflects from ‘The Mission’ - win the test.
“In order to maintain the respect of personal differences ‘The Back of The Bus’ was made up of the most experienced players, but included a Catholic, a Protestant, a forward, a back, a Māori, a Pākehā and never the captain.
“JJ Stewart, the former All Blacks coach, was dedicated to expanding players thinking both off the field and on. Off-field players could have any views, but at training or games ‘The Mission’ was unequivocal, winning required solidarity.”
Hood was the All Blacks official physiotherapist from 1977 through to 1985. That tenure included for the 1981 Springbok tour of New Zealand which saw civil unrest erupt around New Zealand.
In 1986, he travelled to South Africa as physio for the rebel New Zealand Cavaliers rugby side.
Hood said acts like Perenara’s showed some of the differences between “old school and new era players”.
While times had changed a lot since his time with the All Blacks, he was a firm believer that when “societal pressures are brought to bear on game day, winning, especially winning well, becomes a shadow”.
“An All Blacks team indirectly can influence society, but overt displays of one’s bias never bode well for maximum effect,” he said.
“Nobody believes the All Blacks have regularly played exceptionally well for several years.
“There is a case to be made that outside ‘politics’ have by stealth rusted our men of iron.
“How a team manages outside beliefs is different from the past, where giving away a penalty was a heinous crime, not now where yellow cards are simply another part of rugby.
“How the individual made a stand for their own principle within a team’s framework was actioned by not demeaning test day.
“Michael Jones chose not to play Sundays, Graham Mourie, Sir John Kirwan, David Kirk, Bruce Robertson, and others chose not to play against South Africa.
“This is their right to choose to withdraw services and they did with great courage, but equally those who chose to play against South Africa were perhaps even more heroes for in unity defying public opinion in order to make change by another route.”
Hood said while “politics and sport meet”, they didn’t mix any more than “oil and water” did.
He feared allowing players to be so overt with their political views could compromise the success of a team that has traditionally been New Zealand’s national sporting side.
“If we take to the maximum politics and sport mixing, each player should on game day make their political statement by word or patch display,” Hood said.
“Such disarray leads to chaos and is the antithesis of ‘Mission Focus’ which has been All Black heritage. If we allow some the privilege of a pet topic, even if well-intentioned and right, is this not encouraging self-centeredness, the antithesis of team?
“Solo runs a real risk of being self-serving.
“Unless the project is unanimous and adds to team performance the team’s mission will be compromised by a sanctimonious approach to peak football.”
Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 30 years of newsroom experience.
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