Maoris “not very upset” by topless haka
Canterbury Women’s Rugby team have inadvertently caused offence – but not much – to Maoris. Their fund-raising calendar for 2007, in aid of breast cancer care, included a topless picture of the team performing the Maori haka.
Maori MP Pita Sharples reminded the BBC that the haka was “a serious thing”, although he admitted he had “no problem” with the team’s fund raising effort, and he wished them well.
Some Maoris were upset by it, not terribly upset, but they thought it was in bad taste.
Thank goodness we have the BBC to tell us every time some religious community is slightly perturbed by something that happens on the other side of the world!
Still, it’s in a good cause.
UPDATE/CORRECTION: (22:20) OK, I hold my hands up. Maoris cannot really be described as a “religious community”, and the haka isn’t a particularly religious ritual. This is probably the reason why they are not particularly upset.
ermmmm…..
I don’t think maori’s are a religious community as such, rather an indiginous population….
and I also doubt that most of them give a flying fark about the mammaries of Kent’s female rugby players.
Seismic – I’ll bet it’s Canterbury in New Zealand, rather than the Kentish one, but you’re right, monitor’s erred like a muslim imagining he’s part of a muslim race rather than religion
tom – it is Canterbury in Kent as the UK website addresses should indicate…
Whilst there is a Maori religion, the haka is a cultural thing, so this is a bit of a screw up on Monitor’s part… and just a few days before the site’s second birthday too!
But the little pop ups on the links more than make up for it!
It’s a fair cop.
Is it really nearly two years already? Blimey.
Aye, tis nearly two years. The first post: http://www.mediawatchwatch.org.uk/?p=2
Congrats on two years of good work.
Many years ago I had a run in with some of the Canterbury Women’s rugby team when they got out of hand in a pub on the high street where I kept bar(The Kentish Cricketers if any Cantabrians are interested). I’d rather upset the Maoris than upset the amazons again trust me.
I think it’s splendid that the New Zealand Morris is spreading to Kent. I only hope that they’ll let us export all of our morris dancers to NZ. And then keep them.