2023 Rugby World Cup

[KnickerlessParsons]

Can't find a thread so thought I'd start one nice and early for some pre chat.

Really don't think either England or Wales are going to get out of the pool rounds 🙁

Are you going to acknowledge what I wrote to you at all? perhaps apologise for your offensive words? The vitriol against Barnes is horrible and completely unacceptable. So are your words here about another country's culture, and about Fijian New Zealanders.

I'll make a deal with you.
I'll acknowledge the right of New Zealanders to inflict their cultural rites on people from outside their culture if you acknowledge my right not to like it when you do that.

@KnickerlessParsons bother Op. Was just admiring your dignified silence! And how everyone else was ignoring too.
It’s a rugby thread. Needs to be kept to the game imo.
Plenty of room to rant about the other issues on AIBU

I tried to keep silent, but failed!
☹️, and don't want to flounce off my own thread!

How about we talk about the Wales v Barbarians match on Saturday instead? I thought it was very entertaining. Sad that so many players, from all teams, are retiring all at the same time, but I guess it happens every 4 years after a WC.

Was Wales v the Baa Baas televised and is it on catch up anywhere as I may need a fix for my rugby habit..? Thanks for the thread OP.

Hehehe! https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/oct/29/government-declares-the-webb-ellis-is-in-south-africas-kant

Oh give over! We've had two weeks of silly tin-eared harrumphing by the RFU and many years of the same about the haka. Don't be surprised if it gets the occasional reaction!

Poor timing by the WRU though, kindly forgetting that the 4 clubs could do with their players back and some cash coming through the door.

Ospreys played at the Stoop on Friday night. They managed to get a crowd of over 7,000 in SW London, but scraped around 3,500 back home a week or two earlier. WRU neglect is showing.

ITV Wales, which seems to be unavailable in England. I watched it on You Tube.

Thank you Knickerless!

I watched it on S4C with welsh commentary. Good match, and lovely to see the standing ovations for the retiring players.

Just wanted to comment about Wayne Barnes. I saw an article that his wife was receiving threats even prior to the WC. I actually despair at what is happening these days in sport. Even players have been threatened during the course of the past few months. At what point are there going to be no referees willing to ref a big game/final etc due to the impending threats they are bound to receive.

I have seen from the other side how disgraceful people have been, it is no secret that many people hate the SA team and have such an issue now that we took the trophy. Even going as far as to report Barnes and for an investigation to take place. For what? It is done now, what are they wanting to happen. For SA to give the trophy back and say here you go NZ?

I need someone to explain to me what they think this process is going to achieve as it just makes no sense to me.

Is it about the money? As obviously the top team walk away with more than the rest. Is it dented pride?

Entitlement, probably.

Wow.

The OP raised this themselves with their deplorable comments about NZ's culture. I responded to it, since I find it impossible to ignore racism. But you carry on.

Do you feel the same way about anthems? It is racist to state other cultures are forced on you when people celebrate them at international sports events. If you don;t want to see it, don't watch rugby. Its amazing that they are colonised by us and we expect them to keep their indigenous culture to their own country, after our country forced our culture on so many others. If you didn;t want to be challenged on this, you should not have brought it up on this thread yourself.

@isthismylifenow its pretty awful isn;t it? he did an excellent job, but even if he had got a couple of calls wrong, there is just no need or reason for the reaction the officiating has got. You're right the complaint about him will lead to nothing, but NZ have been complaining to WR about things that don't go their way for so long they can't help themselves. I think it is about pride and money, and I agree that some really seem to have a hatred for South Africa, it was the same last time... although then there was also a lot of discussion on the black players and quotas etc being the reason they weren't doing well- prior to Rassie taking over.

Personally I always enjoy the Haka, but I think the OPs position was that she doesn’t (which is ok surely) and anyway in her view it’s probably cultural appropriation as most of the team are not Māoris. Correct me if I’m wrong OP! I have wondered about that myself in the past, but I don’t know much about NZ. You’ve explained why you don’t think that is the case and provided more cultural background, which was interesting and informative to me at least. I can enjoy the Haka properly now. I don’t think the OP was being racist, it is a shame for the thread to derail off the rugby.

How would you know by looking at them what ethnicity they are anyway? But the point is NZ has embraced two cultures, and the treaty is a representation of that, Maori and English are official languages and toanga is protected by law there. The anthems are not a traditional Maori custom, so to leave out their tradition would be wrong for their country, and of course there are other countries that also do a similar thing and yet nobody ever complains? I think its more about the fact the country wins more often than it loses and people imagine thats the reason. I think it is clearly racist to say that one part of a country's culture being shown at an international event is 'forcing it' on others, when the white part of their culture isn't offending you. It is also really really wrong to say what they did about Fijian people. NZ has a large population of other Polynesians, including Fijian's, who have been born and raised there. Their foreign born numbers are lower than most of the rest of the competitors, and nobody seems bothered that there are samoan players singing the English national anthem, or South Africans singing the Scottish national anthem. I am afraid, for those of us who experience racism, this was a glaringly obvious example.

Explain it to me then please. I'm pretty sure the white men have no cultural history of the haka (autocorrect changes this to Hakka btw).

There are Chinese people that are Hakka Chinese. A quick google showed me why autocorrect ‘corrected’ incorrectly.

As a previous poster commented - you don’t have to watch the Haka.

Thanks to the posters who explained about the haka. I’ve always enjoyed watching it and your explanations have prompted me to learn a bit more about it.

nobody seems bothered that there are samoan players singing the English national anthem, or South Africans singing the Scottish national anthem. I am afraid, for those of us who experience racism, this was a glaringly obvious example.

I agree with all of your post @Iwantcakeeveryday .

I hadn’t thought about this last point, but yes, I can see it now.