Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

A Wristband Too Far: Why Did Kane Hames' Standing Rock Stance Fall Foul Of His Rugby Bosses?

By Jamie Wall
kane-hames

Jamie Wall reads between the lines of NZ Rugby’s recent wristband sanctions.

Normal transmission resumed over the weekend as the All Blacks trampled Italy 68-10 in Rome.

ADVERTISEMENT

After their shock loss to Ireland in Chicago they were back to being the same old relentless All Blacks, but there was something a little different about the famous black jersey. Sewn on one of the arms was a poppy, to mark Remembrance Day. It’s not the first time the All Blacks have attached the poppy to their jerseys for a November test match in conjunction with the Returned Services Association to commemorate the 13 All Blacks who fell in World War I.

A week earlier, Maori All Blacks prop Kane Hames made a small addition to his match day attire as well, by writing on his wrist band. Usually a space reserved for tributes to mum, dad or Jesus, Hames used the match against the US Eagles to show his support for the Native American protest against the Dakota access pipeline at Standing Rock. If he hadn’t scored a try late in the game, no one might have even noticed.

Hames’ show of solidarity with the UN-backed movement caught headlines. Team management were quizzed on the subject and came back with a disappointing show of disapproval, coach Colin Cooper saying that “he’s playing for this team and we are part of New Zealand Rugby and Maori culture, that’s our drive and that’s what we will all be standing for”.

Hames was showing support for another indigenous culture, fighting to protect their land rights – something not too dissimilar to what Maori have faced over the last 170 or so years since the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. In fact, Hames’ Standing Rock stance came 135 years to the day of one of the most infamous Maori land confiscations in New Zealand history.

Spot the double standard?

Before and after the All Blacks trampling of Italy, viewers were subjected to a collection of soundbites from the players about how much the poppy on their jerseys meant to them. Which was fine, even if they did seem mawkishly scripted.

[rugbypass-ad-banner id=”1475535264″]

So is the message that symbolism and nods to causes are all good with the New Zealand Rugby powers-that-be, as long as they fit the narrative they want? It has a slightly unnerving parallel to the history the government seems to want us to remember. World War I: good, brave, heroic. Land Wars and broken treaty promises: the less said, the better.

ADVERTISEMENT

And New Zealand Rugby certainly are good at saying nothing when they don’t want to, this year especially.

NZ Rugby enjoys a cosy relationship with the current government. The last World Cup squad was announced at Parliament. Prime Minister John Key has long been a regular in the changing rooms after games, and was in direct contact with senior All Blacks during New Zealand’s recent flag referendum. Israel Dagg once got himself in trouble with the Electoral Commission (but not NZ Rugby) for tweeting his support for Key in the last election.

The Maori All Blacks went on to lose their next match against Munster over the weekend, a match preceded by a widely praised and uniquely Maori tribute to the late Anthony Foley. Given the furore over Hames’ actions the week before, it seems like there’s a definite line that NZR are comfortable with when it comes to native culture expressing itself in representative teams.

Which, in itself, is a sad representation of a larger part of New Zealand than the country likes to admit.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

40 Go to comments
A
Adrian 12 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

40 Go to comments
FEATURE
FEATURE Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby? Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?
Search