KEY POINTS:
A UK columnist has labelled the All Black's rendition of the Ka Mate Ka Mate haka as a "now charmless eye-rolling, tongue-squirming dance".
Guardian newspaper columnist, Frank Keating, writes: "It seems to me that the haka has become even more disfigured as a crude and graceless spectacle. It has always been unfairly intimidating."
He goes on to describe some of the haka performances in early rugby history, quoting the Illustrated London News of October 13 1888 as saying the players "cavorted about in ostrich-feather capes and tassell'd caps in a device of novelty and excitement for the sizeable gathering".
"Now the haka is an over-rehearsed, over-choreographed production number with a nasty malignant edge to it. It does nobody any favours, least of all rugby itself," writes Keating.
Keating had attracted over 400 comments to his column by this morning after being posted two days ago.
Tamati Waaka hosts a show on Maori Television called Whare Tapere that explores the finer points of haka performance and its meaning.
Waaka said the awareness and the importance of the haka has been lifted by rugby - not just for Pakeha, Maori and New Zealand but internationally as well.
"Now the world finally realises that it is more of a way to psych up our boys, as it was traditionally performed immediately before battle - once they have been made aware of the true meaning of that type of haka taparahi - now they are trying to get rid of it from the pre-match festivities," Waaka said.
He said previously international audiences saw it as a form of entertainment.
Waaka said it is healthy for people to be talking about the haka and encourages other countries to look into their indigenous culture.
"Australia, all they have is Waltzing Matilda and don't have awareness of their own culture capital, in terms of the Aboriginal people, and find something unique to add to the event," Waaka said.
He said the Zulu warriors used by South Africa before some of their home games could have been inspired by the haka and would definitely inspire the Springboks.
"I see it as a fantastic tool of promoting their culture, indigenous culture of each culture and rugby is just a vehicle to bring it to life on the world stage and TV."
He said it is a pity some people are closed-minded and don't see the haka for what it is.
All Black great Wayne "Buck" Shelford is often credited with rejuvenating the haka. He said some people read too much into the haka and mis-understand it as a consequence.
"It is actually part of the pre-match entertainment now and people look forward to seeing it and culturally it is our culture and we're showing it off as well as our All Blacks," Shelford said.
He said some people look for a negative in something that is positive.
Shelford also applauded Doug Howlett and Rua Tipoki's haka yesterday, performed in front of the All Blacks.
"I think there's a lot of respect there for the boys. Dougie's played over 60 tests for the All Blacks and Rua is very strong in his tikanga, there's a lot of respect there," Shelford said.
He said that came through in the game and Munster had a good game.
He said Keating's call is nothing new.
Only last week the Irish Independent writer Vincent Hogan referred to the haka as "essentially, a leery war dance".
"When the mood takes them, the Blacks embellish it with a gesture that, to the naked eye, looks uncannily like a promise to slit the opponent's throat.
Rewind to 2006 and Wales' refusal to allow the haka to be performed immediately before the test match in Cardiff.
The Welsh union requested the haka to be performed between the national anthems but the All Blacks declined and the Haka was performed in the dressing room before the match.
On the subject, the Times writer Gerald Davies writes: "If the haka and its correctness arouses so much sensitivity and acrimony, perhaps it is time, sadly, to disregard it altogether."
Davies goes on to write: "While the haka may once have been appreciated as a celebration of national identity and representing a unique heritage, in recent years it has been transformed into psychological sabre-rattling, which the All Blacks clearly think is their right to perform for their advantage as they think fit."
And it is not just writers from the "Mother country". TVNZ sports broadcaster John McBeth made similar suggestions in 2006.
"If the haka is really offensive to some Unions, then banning it is one option open to them.
"Each international union has granted the All Blacks permission to perform the traditional challenge. It is a privilege, not a right, for the All Blacks to do it on their opponent's home ground."
The haka also attracted controversy in 2005 when reports that Turkish officials did not want the haka performed during Anzac day commemorations surfaced.
Haka performances have also attracted controversy in the state of Utah, US, after schools with high proportions of Polynesian players began performing the challenge before American Football matches in 2005.
The performances sparked complaints to the local high school association.
