Hurricanes Poua double down on controversial haka, claim tense win
Saturday, 9 March 2024
Hurricanes Poua perform another controversial haka.
In their match against Matatū in Wellington, they had yet more strong words for the Government.
The hosts went on to claim a tense 36-29 victory.
At Sky Stadium, Wellington: Hurricanes Poua 36 (Monica Tagoai try 8min, Shakira Baker tries 17min, 40min, Harmony Kautai try 42min, Leilani Hakiwai try 51min, Cilia-Marie Po’e-Tofaeono try 75min; Isabella Waterman 2 con, Kalyn Takitimu-Cook con) Matatū 29 (Rosie Kelly try 23min, Liv McGoverne try 33min, Kaipo Olsen-Baker try 64min, Amy Rule try 69min; Rosie Kelly 3 con, pen). HT: 19-15
The Hurricanes Poua have doubled down on their controversial haka, sending yet more strong words towards the Government before claiming a tense Super Rugby Aupiki win on Saturday.
For all the fallout of last week’s season-opener against the Chiefs in Hamilton, where the Poua performed a haka that contained the words 'karetao o te Kāwana kakiwhero' which translates in English to 'puppets of this redneck government', the team stepped it up further against Matatū at Sky Stadium.
In delivering their Poua Ki Runga haka, they used a phrase, translated to English, which said: 'New Zealand rise up! Here is Hurutearangi… governments are temporary, the Treaty will endure. Poua will endure.'
There will no doubt be further awkward conversations at Hurricanes HQ in the coming days, after chief executive Avan Lee had publicly stated he had been disappointed by the team’s actions last week.
After the Poua went on to snatch a 36-29 victory on Saturday, captain Jackie Patea-Fereti told Sky: “It means a lot, we’ve had a hard last week. We came out and said this game was really important, it was a must-win. It was more so showing it through our actions than our words, we’d done our words last week.”
Except, there were indeed more words this time, too. With Leilani Perese again leading the haka, the tighthead prop, in the middle of their huddle, smiled at her team-mates before rallying them with a cry which will ensure the contentious topic will stay right in the thick of the headlines.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters quickly weighed in with his opinion on the matter, with a message on X (formerly Twitter).
“The Hurricanes may well lose support and viewers because the CEO has a bunch of naive players damaging the brand by attempting to wade into partisan political activism without any concept of reality,” Peters posted on X.
“They are trying to insult the Government but are instead now just slapping the Hurricane brand and CEO in the face. Go woke go broke.”
Galvanised, no doubt, the Poua had to hold their nerve to ensure they came away on the right side of the leger, in a game which swung either way and was eventually decided by a 75th minute Cilia-Marie Po’e-Tofaeono try.
Somewhat ironically, it was Perese who was pinged early, which gave Matatū the opening points, off the tee, but the Hurricanes went on to dominate the first half, though only with a 19-15 lead to show for it at the break.
After Rosie Kelly had a nightmare start, with a deep in-goal clearing kick charged down by Elinor-Plum King and seeing Monica Togoai finish well in the corner, the Matatū first-five made good with a superb slice-through and score in the 23rd minute, and when Liv McGoverne reached out 10 minutes later, the visitors were all of a sudden back in front.
But cue some Shakira Baker brilliance right on halftime to edge the Poua back in front.
Having earlier shown off her step and power when barging over for her side’s second try, this time there was something out of nothing as, with back-foot ball, she stepped past Martha Mataele, and through Chey Robins-Reti and Grace Brooker to speed away for a sensational score.
If the momentum wasn’t seized there, then less than two minutes into the second stanza, it well and truly was, as Harmony Kautai picked off a Pip Love pass and streaked 50 metres.
All of a sudden, from 15-12 up, in the space of three minutes playing time, Matatū found themselves 24-15 down and staring down the barrel of a side doing a mountain of running through the middle, and when Leilani Hakiwai finished off a good attacking movement soon later, it looked like their day might be done.
But, cue a Matatū fightback. Despite Kaipo Olsen-Baker knocking on over the line in the 62nd minute, she made amends two minutes later, then after another sustained period of pressure, Amy Rule barged her way over, too, and a great Kelly conversion tied things up.
However, the Poua were not to be denied, with Po’e-Tofaeono driving across from close-range, and the hosts holding on for a win they were very much gunning for.
Stuff has approached the Hurricanes for comment.