The Junior Kangaroos faced a fired up young Kiwi side in the Under 20 Rugby League International match at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday night.
Approaching the Kangaroos mid-performance the Kiwis came within millimetres, some players actually pushed the opposition, and had to be restrained.
World’s Most Out of Control Haka?
The Aussies advanced forward, leaving no room for the New Zealanders to complete their routine pre-match ritual.
“I knew our boys were still to walk forward and I thought it could turn quite sour,” commented Kiwi coach Brent Gemmell.
“It put us off our game a bit at the start,” Gemmell admitted. The Kiwis eventually winning the match 15-14 in a close encounter. The Junior Kangaroos missed a penalty kick in the final minutes after receiving a penalty for a shoulder-charge.
There have been plenty of controversies surrounding the Haka in the past. In 2008 the Kangaroos advanced on the Kiwi Rugby League team providing a fiery opening to the match.
The French were fined $15,000 for advancing towards the All Blacks in the World Cup Final in 2011. Wales provided a uniquely awkward moment at the Millenium Stadium in 2008, refusing to move after the All Blacks performed the Haka for (seriously) several minutes.
This testosterone explosion may take the cake however. Little has been said about what the ramifications of this close encounter will be.
