Rugby Union Fans-Supposed To Be Fair And Sportsmanlike???

[Mrsspagnoli57]

Enjoyable game between England and the All Blacks today spoilt by England 'fans' drowning out the 'Hakka' (spelling no doubt wrong) by singing 'Swing low sweet chariot'.
And rugby union fans would have us believe that football fans are rude and boorish !!

[douglas9401]

Football fans ARE rude and boorish but they don't have a monopoly on it.

[Old_Geezer]

If they insist on playing silly Bs doing this hakka nonsense they should expect the fans not to remain tolerant for ever, and start a sing song.

[chrissa1]

The All Blacks have been doing this for decades. To my mind, it was the English silence that was our best defence/defiance.

[paddywak]

The hakka is a war dance and if I understand it right an insult the enemy so they should be upset about getting a bit back.

[paddywak]

^^^
should not

[ichkeria]

I quite agree mrs spag. It spoiled it for me too. It was especially pathetic after the dignity of the remembrance formalities beforehand.
I can understand the opposition players standing up to them but the haka is one of the great spectacles of world sport - and not unique to the All Blacks either - but the crowd doing what they do is out of order.
And probably counter productive as the Blacks gave them a lesson on the pitch as they usually do to most teams

[Quizmonster]

I also totally agree, MrsS. Yes, it's a war-dance, but all purely symbolic and part of what the best team in the world is all about. The game itself proved so, in that not only did the All Blacks win but they gave England a lesson in how it should be played. The score flattered England.
A few years ago, the England team thought it was a sensible approach to advance 'threateningly' towards NZ while they were doing the haka, but simply made themselves look fools.
If they want to respond in kind, I think they should start using England's folk-dance style. Like Morris dancers, they should get out their hankies, put on their tinkly bells and wave their clicking-sticks. That'd put the fear of God in 'em!

[mallyh]

when was it on? i'm gutted i missed it ?

[ChillDoubt]

IMHO it(the singing/chantning) has come about as a result of the ridiculous IRB ruling that forbids the opposing team from advancing on the Haka, as has happened in the past.

Why should the AB's be allowed to throw down a gauntlet and have it unchallenged? Even former AB's have said they've enjoyed performing the Haka the most when the opponents have slowly advanced on them and taken up the mantle, often ending up nose to nose.
It is a challenge and sign of intent, therefore the opposing team should be allowed to repsond in whichever manner they wish, not just stand there and observe it from a stipulated distance.
France were subsequently fined for advancing on the Haka during the last RWC Final, however that was brought about by the IRB, not at any insistence by the AB's.

My guess is that the fans at Twickenham respond in kind for their team, as they themselves are not allowed to.

http://www.allblacks.com/News/14266/irb-confirms-haka-will-not-be-challenged

[berniecuddles]

"The hakka is a war dance" so what has it do with rugby?
just play their national anthem like the other teams do!

[ChillDoubt]

And rugby union fans would have us believe that football fans are rude and boorish !!
-------------------
Certainly not. They're far too racist, sexist and homophobic for that!
The referee for yesterday's game is widely ackowledged as currently the best in the world. He also just happens to be gay. He has the utmost respect of fans and players alike and his sexual orientation has never been an issue.
Will that ever happen in football? Probably not in my lifetime.

[ichkeria]

"so what has it do with rugby?
just play their national anthem like the other teams do! "

Not so. Tonga, Samoa and Fiji at least all have their own hakas.
And with New Zealand they also do the anthem, in two languages, which makes the whole process even longer than preliminaries for Ireland home games :-)

[jourdain2]

I'm fed up of seeing the Hakka! Read quite a few articles lately saying the same thing and that it is an imposition on the opposing teams, who are not allowed to retaliate in any way to a declaration of war - ending with a cut-throat gesture. I do not want Rugby Union to degenerate to football standards; so perhaps it is time that the question of the Hakka were tackled by the powers-that-be.

[jomifl]

The Hakka should be banned as the only reason it's done is to possibly gain some kind of advantage. Perhaps opposing teams should moon at them.

[DTCwordfan]

I tend to agree, given the number of times that the Pacific nations play in Europe - there have been times when we have reacted, was it the Irish or the Welsh who turned their backs on them and caused a near riot at the first set scrum? The English have marched up to the halfway line and stared them down. It should be one thing or the other, hakka plus the 'ability' to react or nothing.

I don't see why you should chide the English fans for demonstrating their position on this.

One more thing, exit the ground and into the bars and the rugby fans all drink together. There isn't the hardened tribalism with all its excesses that soccer fans pull. Anything but.

[jourdain2]

It was the Welsh DCT.

[DTCwordfan]

There's the old saying, "Rugby - a game for hooligans played by gentlemen whereas football is a game for gentlemen played by hooligans."

It still holds true.

[Peter Pedant]

// Football fans ARE rude and boorish but they don't have a monopoly on it//

I mean look at the average AB poster

[DTCwordfan]

Here's one of the Welsh ones.....it's good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fYIUdVNFgU