'Utter embarrassment': Stephen Jones panned over 'pretty low' joke

Outspoken Sunday Times columnist Stephen Jones has been panned for a joke he made about the name of a recently deceased Maori King.

Kiingi Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero the Seventh died three days ago at age of 69, surrounded by his wife and three children. The king had been recovering in hospital from heart surgery shortly after celebrating the 18th anniversary of his coronation.

New Zealand wore black armbands in honour of his passing at Ellis Park in their 31-27 defeat to South Africa in Ellis Park on Saturday.

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Jones suggested the length of the late king’s name would have been too long to fit on the All Blacks jersey, had he ever represented New Zealand.

Writing in the newspaper the Welsh rugby pundit wrote: “The All Blacks took the field wearing black armbands in honour of Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero the Seventh, the Maori king who passed away last week. No doubt very sad, although thank God he never made the All Blacks because they would never have space to put his name on a jersey.”

The line hasn’t played well on X, where he has been criticised for his, insensitivity, the fact that he appeared to be making fun of the length of his name and the fact that the joke doesn’t even make sense.

Edward Jenkins posted: ‘Stephen Jones being an utter embarrassment’ alongside a screenshot of the sentence.

“Jaysus… That’s pretty low,” wrote one rugby fan, while another posted: “What a dreadful take and an embarrassment to the sport he is. Would he dare write the same about Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Mountbatten-Windsor II?”

Squidge Rugby pointed out: “I mean besides everything else the All Blacks jerseys don’t have names on the back and never have.”

One French user wrote: ‘Je vois que Stephen Jones est toujours aussi con’ which translates to ‘I see Stephen Jones is still as stupid as ever’.

A minority came to Jones’ defence, one writing: “Sounds like a harmless joke about him having a long name – maybe could have worded it better but there’s no malice there at all. Certainly not racist.”