The South African Rugby Union blamed ‘time-keeping challenges" after the All Blacks’ Haka was disrupted by fireworks, “Sister Bethina” and an A380 airliner at Ellis Park on Saturday.
SA Rugby on Monday formally apologised to the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) “for a sequence of events that led to the conclusion of the Haka” ahead of the Rugby Championship match between the Springboks and the All Blacks.
One of the sponsors’ plane came over the stadium, prompting colourful fireworks and the popular song Sister Bethina blaring over the stadium’s speakers in the middle of the Haka.
The Johannesburg crowd also got involved, drowning out the Haka by booing and singing “Ole, Ole, Ole, which some New Zealanders took offence to.
After the match, All Blacks flyhalf Damian Mckenzie said he didn’t mind the booing, but hinted that music and the timing of the flyover was a bit much.
“You can understand the roars of the crowd, and the music is a little … yeah. I probably don’t agree with it as much,” McKenzie said.
“It is an opportunity for us to connect with our [people] back home and our ancestors,” he said of the traditional pre-match war cry.
“We knew the noise was going to be there, but it is out of my control.”
SA Rugby chief Rian Oberholzer says he has apologised in person and have written to the NZRFU to formally express their regret for what occurred.
“It was never the intention to schedule any activities that would coincide with such an iconic moment of any Test match against the All Blacks. That it occurred was a result of timekeeping challenges and simple human error,” said Oberholzer.
“In the confusion, the crowd’s excited cheering was mistaken to have marked the conclusion of the Haka by an unsighted sound engineer who restarted the music programme. It was highly regrettable but in no way deliberate.”
Oberholzer said that SA Rugby was distressed by the breach of protocol and the apparent display of lack of respect it may have suggested.
“We hold dear the values and traditions of the game,” said Oberholzer. “The unfortunate events in no way represent any lack of respect that South African rugby holds for the significance and history of the Haka. We will ensure such errors cannot be repeated.”
The second Test between the teams in the Rugby Championship will be played at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
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