SA Rugby yesterday apologised for the “fiasco” that occurred during the final stages of the Haka performance in the first Test between the Springboks and All Blacks on Saturday at Ellis Park, saying it was not deliberate but due to human error.
The closing moments of the Haka were overlaid by music and fireworks – as well as a flyover by an A380 airliner – as preplanned scheduling failed to be observed.
Sister Bethina, South Africa’s second national anthem, as Bok supporters love to call it, was played during the Haka just as the plane flew over the Johannesburg stadium to recreate the iconic moment of the 1995 Rugby World Cup final.
With it all happening during the performance of the Haka, the All Blacks’ war cry, it bore the brunt of local and international rugby fans and was branded disrespectful.
The South African Rugby Union yesterday said that it had formally apologised to the All Blacks and New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) about the incident.
SA Rugby has formally apologised to @NZRugby for a sequence of events that led to the conclusion of the Haka being obscured on Saturday - more here: https://t.co/b1L5HFKBXt 🤝#Springboks pic.twitter.com/p3cR8zEw9J
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 2, 2024
Even after the match, one that the world champions won 31-27, Kiwi flyhalf Damian McKenzie said he didn’t mind the booing, but hinted that music and the timing of the flyover was a bit much.
“You can understand the crowd roars and the music is a little, yeah. I probably don’t agree with it as much,” said McKenzie.
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said it was never the intention to schedule any activities that would coincide with such an iconic moment of any Test match against the All Black.
“I apologised in person and have written to the NZRFU to formally express our regret and apologies for what occurred,” said Oberholzer.
“SA Rugby is distressed by the breach of protocol and the apparent display of lack of respect it may have suggested.”
“That it occurred was a result of timekeeping challenges and simple human error. In the confusion, the crowd’s excited cheering was mistaken to have marked the conclusion of the Haka by an unsighted sound engineer who restarted the music programme.
“It was highly regrettable but in no way deliberate. SA Rugby is distressed by the breach of protocol and the apparent display of lack of respect it may have suggested.
What a test match but my only disappointment was the noise made and music being played during the Haka, it’s a privilege to watch and hear for player and fan alike, please let’s respect it in Cape Town…
“We hold dear the values and traditions of the game. The unfortunate events in no way represent any lack of respect that South African rugby holds for the significance and history of the Haka. We will ensure such errors cannot be repeated.”
The Boks and All Blacks will lock horns in Cape Town on Saturday in the second Test and another win would boost the South Africans’ hopes of winning the Rugby Championship for the first time since 2019.