Richard Cockerill stands up to Norm Hewitt & Haka in 1997

Posted first at http://www.rugbydump.com/2008/12/770/richard-cockerill-stands-up-to-the-haka-...

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• rugby
• richard
• cockerill
• haka
• norm
• hewitt
• 1997
• challenge
• england
• new
• zealand
• all
• blacks

[mav3r1ck69]

Screw the IRB, this challenge to the Haka and the ones that have come from South Africa, Ireland, and the other day the French were superb. May International teams continue to accept the challenge by challenging.! Go the All Blacks but fuck me, those damn French are giving us coronaries.!

[AjRhCp]

The Haka is a challenge. Anyone who, as a sportsman puts his all into his sport and says 'Challenge Accepted' does not deserve a fine, or a punishment. They deserve a pat on their cast iron bollocks.

[Q3ToPBuZz]

@Optimusisgod the fans.

[Optimusisgod]

Who won this game?

[1NPAPANTHER]

Watch the video on here where the australian squad in a line walk to the haka the crowd goes mental

[44redman1]

unfortunetly you cant rid the haka coz the kiwis will refuse to play.

[mercsmania]

too much respect to shown to what is essentially time wasting. it's not a national anthem, it's an attempt to intimidate and provoke a reaction, if it gets that response, so be it, more the merrier for the fans! saw the U20 video and thought the refs were a disgrace. almost pushing the irish lads aound and turning a blind eye to all black pushes and punches. i like the haka, but i like it more when the challenge is met, otherwise it's just fat blokes dancing with their tongues out!

[1980merv]

watch the ireland u20 challenge nz u20 vid and listen to the shite from the guys doing the commentary, everyone should lay down for the haka! dont get me wrong love to see the haka but stand up and fight :)

[rawiri1969]

@MrPaulGunn thanks for sharing that,simply bueatiful

[LeagueUnionSevens]

@brittyxo123 No it isn't actually. The haka was used before wars or battles, where one tribe's haka/challenge would be answered by the other tribe's haka. It was a two-way challenge. Now obviously non-NZ teams can't perform a haka, but there has never been anything wrong with returning the challenge.

I'm Maori and support teams who stand up and respond to the haka, it's only fair to do so.

[MrPaulGunn]

Later in life when Hewitt had drink problems, Cockerill wrote to him as a mate to give his support and encouragement with the problems he faced. These are both real men on and off field, there are harder things in life than rugby.

[chanctonbury63]

A while later in NZ Cockerill and Hewitt were out on the town with some others. They shared a taxi and as Cockerill got out he said something (unreported) to Hewitt, who followed him out and landed what one of the others described as `the perfect 5 punch combo` on him. All to the head and face apparently.