English football star mocks haka as World Rugby makes epic fail
NZ Herald
English football legend Gary Lineker took shots at the haka after the All Blacks dominant performance against Canada last night, but it's World Rugby's response on Twitter that has punters scratching their heads.
After the All Blacks performed the haka before their 63-0 demolition of Canada, Lineker tweeted: "Must be so hard not to just laugh at this if you're the opposition."
The official Rugby World Cup account then attempted a takedown of the famous footballer, writing: "But they have won the World Cup three times...one would be nice eh?"
Which would be a fair comment if England hadn't taken the Webb Ellis Trophy but as anyone with a passing interest in rugby will tell you, they have.
England took out the prize in 2003, beating Australia after they defeated the All Blacks in the semifinal.
Twitter users were quick to leap on the embarrassing mistake, with one man writing: "Is the work experience lad in charge of the official Rugby World Cup twitter feed today?"
More criticism was levelled at Lineker's original tone-deaf tweet, including from media commentator Piers Morgan, an ardent Arsenal supporter, who took a swipe at Lineker's former club Tottenham Hotspur.
"The Haka is one of the greatest spectacles in sport, and of huge cultural importance in New Zealand," Morgan wrote. "Weird that you would mock it."
One user said: "I'd delete this one Gary, if you don't understand the culture behind it… this can be seen as disrespectful."
Another commented: "The fact that Lineker doesn't see this post as racist is frightening. Hang your head in shame Gary."
Lineker replied to the criticism, writing: "Just a bit bored by it now. How would a dance in anyway intimidate a sportsman. Their rugby ability is another matter entirely but the Haka.... nah."
Lineker failed to win the football World Cup in either of his two appearances in 1986 and 1990, though he did win the Golden Boot for most goals in 1986.
This article first appeared on the NZ Herald and is re-published with permission here
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Yeah of course it can be, it manages a good commerical outcome when 100 million people are following it. I’m saying rugby is no where near even remotely close to getting the payoff you’re talking about, never mind the distinct lack of anyway to implement it.
So you’re going for the dirty approach. I’m not surprised, it’s the only way to easily implement it right now. I wouldn’t see the benefit to doing that myself. A draft, if purely feasible in it’s own right, doesn’t need to provide commercial benefit at all (if it works, that’s all it needs to do, as it no doubt did back in america’s heyday). But without the advantageous backing of sponsors and interest levels, if you pick the wrong method to implement it, like a dirty approach, you do potential harm to it’s acceptance.
The aspect’s of the approach you chose that I don’t like, is that the franchises are the ones spending the money of the U20’s only for there opposition to get first dibs. Personally, I would much prefer an investment into a proper pathway (which I can’t really see SR U20s being at all in anycase). I’m not exactly sure how the draft works in america, but I’m pretty sure it’s something like ‘anyone whishing to be pro has to sign for the draft’, and results in maybe 10 or 20% of those being drafted. The rest (that accumulative 80/90% year on year) do go back into club, pronvincial, or whatever they have there, and remain scouted and options to bring in on immediate notice for cover etc. You yes, you draw on everybody, but what is generating your interest in the drafties in the first plaec?
This is your missing peace. If some come through school and into the acadamies, which would be most, you’ve currently got three years of not seeing those players after they leave school. Those that miss and come in through club, maybe the second year theyre in the draft or whatever, aged 20/21, you’re going to have no clue how they’ve been playing. NPC is a high level, so any that are good enough to play that would already be drafted, but some late bloomers you might see come in NPC but then Sky’s not going to broadcast that anymore. So what’s generating this massive interest you’re talking about, and most importantly, how does it tie in with the other 7 clubs that will be drafting (and providing) players outside of NZ?
Is the next step to pump tens of millions into SRP U20s? That would be a good start for investment in the youth (to get onto international levels of pathway development) in the first place but are fans going to be interested to the same level as what happens in america? Baseball, as mentioned, has the minor leagues, if we use that model it hasn’t to be broad over the whole pacific, because you’re not having one draft right, they all have to play against each other. So here they get drafted young and sent out into a lower level thats more expansive that SR, is there interest in that? There would be for large parts, but how financially viable would it be. Twiggy tried to get a league started and NPC clubs joined. BOP and Taranaki want SR representation, do we have a mix of the biggest clubs and provinces/states make a couple of divisions? I think that is far more likely to fan interest and commerical capabilities than an U20 of the SR teams. Or ofc Uni fits a lot of options. I’ve not really read anything that has tried to nut out the feasability of a draft, it can certainly work if this spitballing is anything to go by, but I think first theres got to be a need for it far above just being a drafting level.
Go to commentsThe class of Will Jordan was one of the highlights of this match. He played a great all round game, under the highball, attack and defense. He will the AB fullback. He also did a good job taking over the captaincy of the Crusaders when Codie Taylor went off.
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