Departing All Blacks legend TJ Perenara made a huge statement as he led the haka for a record 64th time against Italy on Saturday afternoon.
The legendary New Zealand scrum half bowed out alongside Sam Cane, with the two World Cup winners set to head to Japan to continue their club careers.
Perenara, who made his international debut for the Kiwis back in 2014, and has also made two appearances for the Maori All Blacks, led the haka ahead of New Zealand’s 29-11 win against Italy last week.
But in the opening of Ka Mate, Perenara, 32, was overheard making a reference to ‘Toitu te tiriti o Waitangi’ – the Treaty of Waitangi – New Zealand’s founding document that upholds the rights of Maori citizens in the country.
A nine-day hikoi – a peaceful protest – has been held in the country over the past week after the coalition government in New Zealand proposed major changes to the interpretation of the Treaty.
Over 40,000 citizens have marched on the New Zealand parlia
Departing All Blacks legend TJ Perenara made a huge statement as he led the haka for a record 64th time against Italy
Perenara appeared to show his support to those contesting the ACT Party’s new Treaty Principals Bill
But Perenara appeared to show his support to those contesting the ACT Party’s new Treaty Principals Bill.
The 32-year-old, who was born in Porirua and grew up in Titahi Bay, began the haka at the Allianz Stadium in Turin he said, per 1News: ‘Toitū te mana o te whenua, toitū te mana motuhake, toitū te tiriti o Waitangi.’
In English, that translates to: ‘Forever the strength of the land, forever the strength of independence, forever the Treaty of Waitangi.’
Perenara also spoke out on his comments to Sky Sports after the match.
‘Being able to lead the haka is special in any moment,’ the scrum half said.
‘To be able to lead it tonight, especially to show the unification of our people back home.
‘I think we all saw the people in our hikoi. The unity that our country showed.
‘For us to be able to acknowledge the unification of our people, all of our people, not just tangata whenua but nga tangata katoa [everybody] is something that was important for us and important for me.
It came during New Zealand’s 29-11 at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, with Perenara set to retire from international rugby
Over 40,000 citizens have been protesting a new piece of legislation that could drastically alter New Zealand’s founding document, the Waitangi Treaty
‘That was really cool.’
New Zealand’s ACT Party are attempting to introduce a new piece of legislation, the Treaty Principles Bill. They have argued that there is a need to legally define the principles included in the 1840 treaty.
All Blacks captain Scott Barret spoke on Perenara’s statement after the match.
‘As the leader, they get the opportunity to say something,’ Barrett explained.
‘He said he was going to lead and say a wee mihi. It was a message of unity, and that’s what he said.’
The team and coach Scott Robertson had given the scrum half their backing.
‘We asked him to explain what was the concept around it and he said it was a sign of unity,’ the Kiwi coach said.
Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke ripped up a document with the proposed legislation on it in New Zealand’s parliament
Members of the floor and the gallery began to perform a haka in protest at the proposed reforms
‘Everyone was across it. He gets his chance to call that and the rest of the team gets to do the haka.’
But the leader of the ACT party, David Seymour, who devised the bill, questioned why Perenara had opposed the legislation.
He encouraged the halfback to read the changes his party proposes to make.
‘I congratulate TJ on his long All Blacks career and wish him well in Japan,’ Seymour said.
‘I hope he reads the bill at treaty.nz. It says that we all have nga tikanga katoa rite tahi – the same rights and duties. And all New Zealanders have tino rangatiratanga, the right to self-determine, not only Māori.
‘The challenge for people who oppose this bill is to explain why they are so opposed to those basic principles of equal rights.’
Perenara has won 89 caps for the All Blacks and has scored 80 points for his country.
