So the sliver medalist from the 2011 New Zealand Rugby World Cup, the French Rugby Union Team has been fined $15,000 for advancing for linking arms and advancing on the All Blacks before Rugby World Cup final haka. My original thoughts was that it was extremely disrespectful towards New Zealand culture by  advancing towards New Zealands traditional tribal war dance. But now that the Frogs have been finanically hit in the pcoket, my thoughts have changed. The International Rugby Board (IRB) rule is that no other team may venture from the 10 metre line from their own half towards the All Blacks while they are completing the haka. This is not the first time the French have done something like this, as in the 2007 rugby world cup quarter final again, against the All Blacks they advanced towards the haka then and escaping a reprimand, but it was not as extreme as on the 23rd Sunday night Ocyober 2011.

I heard Peter FitzSimons  on the news tonight and he begged the question as an opposition team member; Are you suppose to just stand there and take the All Blacks imitating throat cutting actions, punching fists and violent actions towards you when they are dancing the haka? You have 26 full grown men beardy acting violently out how you are going to spend your last minutes on this earth, before they bury you into the turf of Eden Park as your funeral. What is a man to do?!!!! Just stand there and watch how you are going to perish!!! I don’t think so. To just surrender and die!!!! Especially by a Kiwi!!!!

The Haka no doubtly is a psychological advantage being Kiwi and doing the haka before such a physical contest just ask any psychiatrist. However, war is very different to playing professional rugby but they liken football to war. Im not so sure. 

Obviously, the Australian Rugby Legue (ARL) have a different rule when it comes to the haka as from the World Cup  final a couple of years ago, the mighty Kangaroo’s advanced right up in the faces of the Kiwi players whilst they were doing the haka and the Kangaroo’s lost the game. The French Rugby coach thought it was unfair, as did the Kiwi manager and so many rugby fans would universally all agree.

The French  advancing on the haka was probably not poltically or culturally correct however fining them is a probably not the right consquence as they had already lost the final. It just adds a bit of flair and more emotion to the centre stage of the rugby world cup. If this action has caused raised eyebrows, bring on the 2015 RWC the sooner ther better. Maybe the French should start a frog dance to intimidate the Kiwis next time they meet!!!

The rules of rugby are killing the future and enjoyment of the game. They call the game of rugby, the game they play in heaven. God only know if Jesus’ plays the game and how well the Jersuselum XVI would go in the super 15, I don’t think real well!!!!
With the rule book the size of an entire national library, there’s no wonder that anyone knows what the penalty is for. Sometimes even the ref ponders to himself why he blew the whistle himself unless he likes the sound of his own whistle and was bullied at school and is now taking authority from his position. Frustration is experienced also by the commentators, the extreme fans in the crowd and the dad’s watching the rugby from their lounge rooms who all of a sudden become professional rugby experts and teach their sons how to “really play”. There are just way too many rules which spoils what could be exciting flowing and fast running rugby. People prefer to watch any footy code that is exciting with points usually tries. I play the game and often wonder how you can train a team to be perfect in every facuets of the rule book. I feel it is impossible. It’s like a business conforming with every OH&S law without going bankrupt.

Another point I’d like to make is that I personally feel rugby league kicks are far better than rugby union kickers. With the points being more in rah rah, one would feel that the kickers ability should be the other way around, leaving their NRL counterparts. Time and time again I watch the likes of Johnanthan Thruston and Hazem El Masri pop them over the black dot from the sideline like their blind folder. With ex wallabies coaching staff teaching current wallabies how to kicking it makes you wonder what they do at training. I previously went to a Brumbies Tahs game where all the points where scored by the boot. I sat there wondering is this what I really wanted from my purchased ticket so I went and brought another overpriced beer and drowned my sorrows.

So what is there for the future if rugby, you ask hopefully an international body that sells a general, fair and most important fewer rule book and less authoritial blowing their whistles, a change in the point system, less ping pong kicking and a running rugby as a player once said to me you can’t win the game if you kick the ball away!!!