It’s not too late. It’s not over the top. And it’s not just so the Wallabies have a response to the All Blacks’ haka.
The Wallabies should perform an Aboriginal dance before Test matches because Australia’s Indigenous heritage needs to be not just recognised, but celebrated.
It’s been debated before, but the subject of an Aboriginal dance has been raised again by someone who knows all too well what it’s like to be grilled over Indigenous symbolism in sport.
Adam Goodes copped a mountain of flak when he performed his spear-throwing celebration after kicking a goal for the Sydney Swans in an AFL match three years ago.
The 2014 Australian of the Year’s jig was regarded by some as being inappropriately aggressive and uncalled for on the sporting field. I loved it. The pride and the passion was raw and it was a massive middle finger to those who had hounded Goodes – a proud Indigenous man – for a couple of seasons.
Goodes was talking to Anh Do on his ABC program Anh’s Brush with Fame last night when he spoke about wanting football codes in Australia to implement an Indigenous dance – similar to New Zealand’s famed haka – in coming years.
Adam Goodes, being awarded Australian of the Year. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)
I’m with him.
It doesn’t need to be long. It doesn’t need to be complicated. But a sincere nod to our history in the form of an Aboriginal dance, performed by the Wallabies squad just before kick-off, would be a great way to highlight Australia’s heritage.
For the Wallabies, it would be particularly profound given how international rugby union is and how millions of global eyes get the chance to watch Test matches.
Or maybe more of a song and dance should be made about all this. Is it too much to add some Indigenous lyrics to the national anthem sung before Test matches?
Roar legend Spiro Zavos wrote passionately about this more than two years ago.
Jess Mauboy’s rendition of Advance Australia Fair on Australia Day in 2016 – in which she started with the words of the anthem in the local Indigenous language of the peoples of the Hawkesbury, Georges and Nepean rivers region, then followed with the verses sung in English – was “mindblowing”, he said.
Spiro noted there were a few complicating issues, mainly that there are many languages within the different Aboriginal nations, and therefore a standardised version would need to be agreed upon.
He also made the point that South Africa, after the release from prison of Nelson Mandela, incorporated verses of the national anthem in Zulu, Afrikaans and English that gives “a sense of the complexity and traditions of South Africa”.
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The adoption of some Aboriginal and English lyrics in the Australian national anthem sung by the Wallabies would similarly be a more suitable way to combine the country’s dominant cultural influences.
At the very least, the Wallabies should wear more of the Indigenous-designed jersey they pulled on for the first time last season, and not because Australia scored a rare Bledisloe Cup win.
“’Mate that might be the secret to beat the All Blacks, having that jumper’,” Wallabies legend Mark Ella told Michael Cheika after the Wallabies’ 23-18 win in Brisbane.
Rugby Australia should be applauded for introducing the jersey and hopefully they will soon announce in which Rugby Championship Tests this season they will be worn by the Wallabies.
Kurtley Beale choked up when last year he helped to unveil the jersey.
The Israel Folau ‘homophobic’ tweet controversy proved the rugby authorities can mobilise quickly when they wanted to promote their equality and inclusion policies, as well as protect their commercial interests.
For a sporting body that aims to be progressive, RA should keep their feet moving and with Adam Goodes, work towards creating an Aboriginal-inspired pre-Test dance for the Wallabies.
Perry Bridge
Guest
Yes - alas the inability to retain a continuous presence - a couple of World Wars made short work of that. NZ brought a team over for the 1908 Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival in Melbourne and played tour matches from Adelaide to Brisbane. They won 6 of 11 including beating both NSW and QLD in the Carnival matches.
piru
Roar Rookie
The response to the Crusaders Haka was a highlight for me
piru
Roar Rookie
Imagine how the Poms and the Kiwis are gonna react. We’ll be a laughing stock. I can't speak for the Poms, but I doubt you'd get many Kiwis laughing. The point being though, who bloody cares?
Sage
Roar Rookie
If that is a serious question then there are some great books I'd recommend to you. I won't bore you if you're not interested but let me know if you are and I'll gladly give you some titles. I don't mean that to be condescending at all either. It's genuine and in my opinion something every Aussie should do if they haven't already - educate themselves more on their countries indigenous past.
double agent
Guest
Nations? How can a nomadic tribe be described as a nation?
Wal
Roar Guru
Very hard to believe because it's BS Between 1996 and 2013, the proportion of the Māori population able to converse in Māori decreased from 25.0 percent to 21.3 percent. And for non-maori it's below 5%
Fionn
Guest
I think we all are Australians, Da. That doesn't change the fact that I am aware of my personal heritage, and it matters to me. Indigenous Australians are a bit different again because of the ancient connection between Indigenous Australians and this land. I don't think recognising that fact devalues non-Indigenous Australians at all. I think we should celebrate Indigenous Australia as a part of modern Australia.
Fionn
Guest
Nice little barrow you wanted to push then. Shame is has virtually nothing to do with what I actually said, eh?
Rob9
Guest
Ken, at what point in your mind does rugby in this country progress from having ‘weak’ indigenous engagement to a level that you believe is appropriate? This article and some of the comments imply that nothing’s being done on the indigenous cultural front in terms recognition and celebration through sport. That plain and simply is not the case. Some of the symbolic initiatives have been mentioned (jersey, welcome to country etc.). Interestingly the RA supported Lloyd McDermott academy has not. I’d argue that that’s the only thing of real substance here that tangibly achieves indigenous engagement in our sport. I think it’s important we get a clear picture of where we are (which is being misrepresented here IMO), what’s trying to be achieved and what rugby’s role can be within that. Not for one second do I suggest closing the door on exploring other options- I just think it should move past what works for NZ and the Pacific Islands in terms of a ‘dance’ and NZ and SA in terms of a bi/multi lingual national anthem. Unfortunately for the side that favours integrating these sorts of ceremonial features into the test rugby experience- to gain traction and be a success it’s going to require widespread buy-in and support and I don’t believe it has that.
Sage
Roar Rookie
The Koori nations covers every inch of this land so no, no missing.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Enough, that’s enough. Your little rant here, whilst quite large, places you in a small and shrinking box. Agree with you on Quade. Disagree with you and Pauline on this one.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Yes, Fionn. This is the crux of the issue. To reject this ‘draft’ of an idea because of apparent tokenism and cultural appropriation misses the point, imo. The first ‘we’ in ‘we are Australian’ is the first Australians, and allowing this fundamental section of our culture to self-express is the important thing. We do not need to try to compete with the unique haka’s design and practice, nor suddenly become bilingual. But we can call a spade a spade, and let the first mob here express what it means to belong to this land. Australian rugby is like a sporting platypus. At one end it is sharp, educated and aware, at another end it is cloistered and pompous, and at yet another end, it is a sleeping mammal gorging with unhatched eggs. It is obviously confused when it looks in the mirror. But like it’s ever hopeful (or is it masochistic) fans, we need to look at our weaknesses as well as our strengths. Our weak engagement with indigenous Australia is an opportunity with a huge upside. Let’s swing the club.
doppler effect
Guest
NZ has been doing annoyingly well in world rowing over recent years. May I suggest that all NZ crews perform the haka in their shells, at the start line before their races. That ought to take care of NZ rowing for a while.
Sage
Roar Rookie
Maybe, just maybe, it isn't just about you and maybe it's because there were many many nations and when an event is held on that nations land, they welcome you and all others from wherever they came. Novel concept. You and your family have a history in Australia and that's a great thing and something to be proud of. Me too. Imagine if your family arrived here 60,000 years ago. Imagine how that would make you feel.
Sage
Roar Rookie
What are you talking about. Tasmanian Aborigines were isolated by the end of an ice age, they weren't dispossessed by another group 6-10,000 years ago. They were land locked 6-10,000 years ago. Yes there were disagreements between Aboriginal nations but they were settled without excessive violence. There was no one nation trying to overthrow another and strip them of their land and heritage. That is a "superior" European approach of war and imperialism. Many have come here in the last 200 odd years but that's within 200 years. Going on about Sudanese refugees etc. is disingenuous. A bit different to 50-60,000 years . I thought that would be obvious. This is Aboriginal land and has been for Millenia and now it's my land too. The Maori landed in NZ less than 1,000 years ago and the Haka is a countries nod and show of respect to that culture. That kind of respect and recognition is very overdue here and a pre-sporting performance is a good way of encouraging that process. Sport has and can continue to be a catalyst for positive social change . I think it's a wonderful idea and support it 100% . We have a wonderfully rich and ancient heritage and it should be appreciated and celebrated at every opportunity.
double agent
Guest
Let's sit in our warm North Shore homes watching Test Match Rugby on pay TV and so long as we have a welcome to country and an indigenous jersey and now a war dance and some aboriginal verse in the national anthem then we know we are all doing our bit for the aboriginal women in Tennant Creek 38 times more likely the victims of domestic abuse and the children victims of shockingly large scale abuse.
double agent
Guest
Yeah that's just awful MQ.
double agent
Guest
GOLD!!!
double agent
Guest
"many white kiwi women that can speak fluent Maori and actively teach and speak it to their kids" I find that hard to believe.
double agent
Guest
Fionn if Australian Rugby was dominated by Aboriginal players the same way NZ Rugby is by Maoris and PI's then this idea may have some validity. But it's not and never has been. Also. Can't we all just be Australians?