England and New Zealand responded to controversy surrounding the Haka with a spine-tingling stand-off on Saturday.
Focus on the Haka was increased in the lead up to the Twickenham showdown when England prop Joe Marler posted on X that the traditional Maori war dance should be binned.
Marler, who is not part of the squad, then deleted his social media account before returning and clarifying his stance.
The two nations met at Twickenham for the Autumn International series on Saturday and all eyes were focused on the pre-match ritual.
England stepped forward to accept the challenge, before encroaching further during the Haka.
The home crowd attempted to drown out the visitors by singing ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’, creating a raucous atmosphere.
As New Zealand also moved forward, the two teams ended up a matter of metres from each other in a bloodcurdling moment.
Marler had argued rules and sanctions for responding to the Haka should be lifted.
Teams performing the dance are not allowed to step over their 10m line, while the opposition cannot go past the halfway line.
England were fined £2,000 in 2019 for lining up in a V formation to watch the Haka.
Earlier this week, Marler wrote: “Hey rugby fans. Just wanted to jump on here and say sorry to any New Zealand fans I upset with my poorly articulated tweet earlier in the week.
“I meant no malice in asking for it to be binned, just want to see the restrictions lifted to allow for a response without sanction.
“I’m grateful for the education received on how important the Haka is to the New Zealand culture and hope others have a better understanding too.”
What is the Haka?
The Maori tradition is famously performed by the New Zealand rugby team before games begin
Opponents must stand and watch as players perform their war dance, which begins with ‘Ka mate, ka mate, ka ora, ka ora’, which translates to ‘I die, I die, I live, I live.’
In Maori culture, it was traditionally used as a way to welcome visiting tribes, but also to get their warriors pumped for battle. It was there to show of physical prowess but also to demonstrate cultural pride, strength, and unity.
Quite surprising is that the team had never performed the Haka on home soil before 1987.
