Laurie Mains: Former All Blacks head coach on Joe Marler's calls for the All Blacks to bin the haka

There's renewed debate about the haka's purpose after Joe Marler suggested it should be banned.

The English prop labelled it 'ridiculous' in a post on social media ahead of this week's rugby test at Twickenham.

Former All Blacks head coach Laurie Mains says the haka is a long-standing rugby tradition within the team - and Marler wouldn't understand its significance. 

"Who would want to take any offence at what Joe Marler says? After all, he's a front-row prop and he wouldn't have a clue where the haka stands in New Zealand rugby."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
First, we've got to talk about the old perennial issue
of the All Blacks doing the hakker, because that's come
up again, isn't it. English prop Joe Marler is tweeted
the hakker needs binning. It's ridiculous. Joining us now with
his thoughts on this, as former All Blacks coach Laurie Mains.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Laurie the how are you?

Speaker 1 (00:15):
I'm very well, thank you. What do you reckon about
what he's had to say?

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Well, I'll be serious for a minute. The harker is
a long standing tradition with the All Blacks. It's appreciated
by the players and usually by the crowds, and more importantly,
it represents our multi cultural rugby society.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yes, and now, if you're not being serious, who would.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Want to take any offense at what Joe Marler says?
After all, he's a front row prop and he wouldn't
have a clue where the harker stands in New Zealand rugby.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
Yeah, that's a fair point. Actually, he made an interesting point.
I just wonder if he's got a point on this
one where he said it's only really interesting when the
opposing team offers some sort of response and that, to
be honest, Laurie, is the bit that I like. I
like to see what they've got to say for themselves.
He has he got a point there.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
Yes he has, and that they I mean the in
the true to tradition of the harker. You know that
Maory was one Mary would one tribe would do his harker,
the other tribe would do theirs, and then they were
into it. So if teams want to organize a response
the harker, I'm with them all the way. Now, Laura,

(01:40):
won't they won't be as fearsome as our harker.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
This is true? Is there is it possible that we
are overdoing it now that we have so many international tests?
You know, back in the day we didn't really and
even then we'd only do it for away games. But
now we're doing it all the time, out away and
home games, and it does it does feel like, I
don't know, it doesn't feel quite as special.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
Well, I think that is because every man and his
dog does harker, and that the harker is represented in
the areas that I'm sure that the Maris didn't intend that.
Now I'm going to stir things up a bit here, Heather,
I don't believe in all of the marriage studies I

(02:25):
did at school, the Wahini never did harkers.

Speaker 1 (02:31):
What did they do?

Speaker 2 (02:33):
They didn't do anything. They didn't fight. The Luis didn't
enter into fights. Yeah, now, I I mean it doesn't
bother me. The A lot of marriage sports women or sorry,
a lot of New Zealand sports teams that are a

(02:54):
woman do the harker And I've got no problem with it.
But I just wonder if we are overdoing it.

Speaker 1 (03:03):
Yes, well, this is the point that I'm trying to make. Yeah,
and that and the national anthem. We scrapped a lot
of it. Hey, thank you very much, Laurie, appreciate it.
Lauri Main's form all Blacks Coach. For more from Hither
Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news talks.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
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