March 13, 2024
Poua haka political advertising
New Zealand First deputy leader Shane Jones says there’s a cost to professional sport – which the Hurricanes Poua are learning.
The women’s rugby team is bucking management by continuing to perform haka opposing the Government’s policies.
Mr Jones says they need to respect not only their supporters but their financial backers.
“They deserve respect and they deserve esteem as well and they are not all comfortable with politicisation. Let’s face it, Toitū te Tiriti is a term politically owned by the Māori Party. Now if you want to produce results that promote the Māori Party, come into parliamentary politics. Don’t exploit the rugby playing public to advance the interests of only one political party,” he says.