Haden stands firm in rugby race row

Andy Haden. Photo / Sarah Ivey

All Black great Andy Haden last night refused to back down from his claims of racial quotas in rugby and said he wouldn't resign as a Rugby World Cup ambassador.

And he revealed two All Blacks were supporting his claims that quotas had been mentioned by Crusaders staff.

"My point was that I'd spoken to members of the Crusaders management in previous times and they had raised the subject and volunteered that they had a quota," Haden told TV3.

"I've had two All Blacks ring me up this morning and say they've had similar discussions."

Yesterday, Prime Minister John Key said the comments and claims of racial quotas were factually incorrect and offensive.

Haden is under pressure to retain his role as World Cup ambassador after using the word "darkies" to describe Pacific Island players.

"No, I don't think it's all right," Mr Key said when asked whether it was okay for a World Cup ambassador to use such a term.

But Haden said last night he would not apologise for his comments and vowed to continue as a Rugby World Cup ambassador.

"What would I apologise for? For having that opinion or having that discussion?

"Why would I apologise for that, that's unfair to apologise for something that's true."

Asked on Campbell Live about NZRU chief executive Steve Tew's comment that he might not be the right person to be a World Cup ambassador, he said: "Steve Tew might not be the right person to be chief executive if he has opinions like that."

He had no problem with being called a honky by guys he called darkie. He believed terms like coconut were okay if they were used in the right context, in jest, and without any malicious intent.

"That's what racism should be about, there's no malice in those sorts of things. I had a Maori from Crusaders call me up laughing his head off and agreed with everything I'd said. There you go, a Maori who's played a lot of rugby for Canterbury."

The player, Billy Bush, told TV3 Haden was "right in the mind but has used the wrong words".

"They don't put the Island boys in the forwards. They will bring them on after the team is subdued and the Islander boys will come on and finish them off."

Mr Key said Haden's role as one of six ambassadors for next year's event - Sean Fitzpatrick, Jonah Lomu, John Kirwan, Andrew Mehrtens and David Kirk are the others - was under review. "The Sports Minister [Murray McCully] is going to be meeting with Mr Haden in the next day or two and I'm sure they'll be having discussions."

Haden also said the Blues franchise was divided along religious lines.

His comments received support from former Race Relations Conciliator and All Black Chris Laidlaw.

"Every time something like this comes up we all start dancing on eggshells," he said.

"It's time we got over that and dealt with it rather more maturely. This comes up once every five or 10 years, there's a terrible fuss, everyone gets worked up and nobody's any the wiser after it."