2006 rugby union handbag controversy

2006 rugby union handbag controversy

On the night of the Super 14 final on 27 May 2006, former All Black captain Tana Umaga allegedly struck Hurricanes team mate Chris Masoe over the head with a woman's handbag, owned by a patron of the Jolly Poacher tavern, Christchurch, New Zealand, breaking her cell phone, after Masoe allegedly attempted to strike another patron.

Masoe was fined $3000 by the NZRU as punishment.The CCTV footage of the incident was eventually shown on NZ television news, where it transpired that event had been blown out of proportion. Umaga briefly tapped Masoe on the side of the face amongst general hilarity; the media focus on the event naturally exaggerated what were clearly light-hearted drunken antics.

The Seven Network TV channel in Australia later aired a promotional advertisement showing the All Blacks performing the haka, with the video digitally altered to show the players carrying handbags.

All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith criticised the advertisement, saying "It is insensitive, I think, to Māori and disrespectful of the All Blacks". [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=rugbyNews&storyID=2006-07-06T065655Z_01_SYD135909_RTRIDST_0_ODD-AUSTRALIA-HANDBAG.XML]

The incident featured on Keith Olbermann's nightly "Worst Person in the World" award, coming in third with a rank of "worse": "The Bronze to the Australian television channel, network Seven, promoting its coverage of Saturday's rugby match between its hometown nation Aussies and New Zealand by altering the video of the New Zealand players so it looks like they are all carrying women's handbags. That's sportsmanship."

The handbag was auctioned on the New Zealand internet auction site Trade Me, and fetched NZ$22,800. The auction was interrupted several times by frivolous bids. [http://www.trademe.co.nz/Sports/Sports-memorabilia/Rugby/Other/auction-58555525.htm (Auction)]

ee also

*2006 Kapa O Pango controversy

External links

* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2260711,00.html Handbag haka was foul play, say heavyweights of rugby]
* [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/event/story.cfm?c_id=331&objectid=10384153 Players say sorry over handbag incident]
* [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=rugbyNews&storyID=2006-07-06T065655Z_01_SYD135909_RTRIDST_0_ODD-AUSTRALIA-HANDBAG.XML New Zealand rugby up in arms over handbag jibe]
* [http://mediamatters.org/items/200607070014 Olbermann on "Worst Person"]
*youtube|JL9ThdmZkFs|Handbag Haka


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • 2006 Kapa O Pango controversy — In 2006, Kapa o Pango , the new haka of the New Zealand rugby union team, the All Blacks created much controversy when a gesture of a thumb drawn down the throat was interpreted by many observers as implying throat slitting. The gesture as… …   Wikipedia

  • Torneo de las Tres Naciones 2006 — Torneo de las Tres Naciones Podio Campeón Nueva …   Wikipedia Español

  • Tana Umaga — Infobox Rugby biography name = Tana Umaga caption = birthname = Jonathan Falefasa Umaga nickname = T allblackid = 909 allblackno = 961 dateofbirth = birth date and age|df=yes|1973|5|27 placeofbirth = Lower Hutt, New Zealand height = height|m=1.88 …   Wikipedia

  • List of sporting scandals — This is a list of major sports scandals:*Black Sox Scandal (1919) *Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker s game fixing (1926) *Pete Rose gambling on baseball Dowd Report (1989) *Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays banned from baseball for being doormen in an… …   Wikipedia

  • Che Guevara in popular culture — A mural of Che Guevara faces in Granada, Nicaragua. Appearances of Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara (1928–1967) in popular culture are common throughout the world. Although during his lifetime he was a highly politicized and… …   Wikipedia

  • Eton College — For the school in Canada, see Eton College (Vancouver, British Columbia). Eton College Location Windsor Berkshire SL4 6DW Eton …   Wikipedia

  • Scunthorpe — infobox UK place country= England official name= Scunthorpe latitude= 53.5809 longitude= 0.6502 population= 72,514 (2006 estimate) unitary england= North Lincolnshire lieutenancy england= Lincolnshire region= Yorkshire and the Humber constituency …   Wikipedia

  • Death on the Rock — was a British Academy Television Award winning episode of Thames Television s current affairs series This Week, first aired by the British television network ITV on 28 April 1988.[1] On 6 March 1988, three Irish Republican Army (IRA) members,… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”