Footy great Willie Mason has set the record straight regarding the controversial time he was called out for ‘disrespect’ to New Zealand’s Haka during an international match.
The opening match of the 2006 Tri-Nations competition between Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain was steeped in controversy.
And it all started before the ball was even kicked, with Mason angering New Zealand players and supporters by swearing at the Kiwis during their traditional pre-match war dance.
As the New Zealand side performed the Haka, the camera panned to Mason, who clearly said the words ‘f*** off’ to the Kiwis.
About 24 minutes later, Kiwi enforcer David Kidwell squared off by taking out Mason in a bone-rattling tackle, leaving him with a swollen and bruised eye and a bloodied face.
But speaking to former Kiwi international Justin Horo on his Levels podcast, Mason said he never swore on the Haka at all, but was actually having some banter with one of his friends on the New Zealand side.
“Say back to the Haka where they think I disrespected it, it was me and bloody Brent Webb calling each other names,” he said.
‘Because Webby was just there and I thought, ‘You can’t play for this Australian [team]you can’t get this Aussie shirt, guess what, you play for New Zealand”.
“That’s what damn said. You’re not fucking good enough. Because I take the p***. Because he made fun of me when we sang the national anthem, because we’re friends.
“It wasn’t anything rude, it wasn’t disrespectful.”
Television footage showed Mason (centre) shouting obscenities at the Kiwis as they performed the Haka in a match between New Zealand and Australia in 2006
Brent Webb (pictured front left) is said to have dragged Mason as the Aussies sang their national anthem
Previously, New Zealand-born Mason said he would never deliberately disrespect the famous dance.
‘I was born in New Zealand [and] The whole disrespect for the Haka is quite difficult,” he said.
‘There is nothing but respect for the Haka.
‘To Kiddy [Kidwell]I think it probably defined his whole career,” Mason added.
‘It’s like it couldn’t have happened better for him.
‘I thought, “How can I disrespect the Haka?” I have nothing but love for New Zealand and nothing but love for the Haka and respect.
‘It’s just taken out of context. I didn’t understand why and how you disrespected the Haka by just telling another guy to have fun.’
New Zealand forward David Kidwell smooths over Mason in the same match with a crushing tackle in response to his apparent disrespect for the Haka
Mason was left bloodied and bruised but finished the match and has revealed he disrespected the Haka but was bantering with a friend
Mason and Horo also spoke about the Samoan war dance, the Sipi Tau, which was used during recent internationals between Samoa and England.
Horo said Samoa crossed a line by getting up in the faces of the England players and said they only had to come so close against countries who also had a war dance.
“I don’t like it getting in their faces when the other team isn’t doing the war dance,” he said.
“Now I might get roasted by my Kiwi counterparts here on my Pacific Island counterparts.
“Let me make it clear: if it’s Tonga versus Samoa, bend to each other’s whims. Because you’re both going through a war dance.
‘But when the England players just stand there and have to deal with it like little Mikey Lewis did… I just don’t like it when they draw that line.’
“I’d say, ‘You better get going,’” Mason added.
“If you were going to make that happen, you better be in the middle and get people on their feet in that first set.
“You can’t roll over and just sit back on the couch and leave it to the big dogs.
It also comes after England rugby star Joe Marler was forced to apologize after sensationally calling for the All Blacks Haka to be ‘thrown out’ this week.
Marler had also claimed that war dances should only be performed if both countries had the opportunity to perform one.
‘It only makes sense if teams actually give an answer. Like the league guys did last week,” he posted.
Nevertheless, his comments angered England fans and even politicians, forcing an apology.
“Hey rugby fans,” he posted on X.
‘I just wanted to go ahead and say sorry to all the New Zealand fans I upset with my poorly articulated tweet earlier this week.
“There was no malicious intent in asking for the haka to be scrapped, I just wanted the restrictions to be lifted so that a response without sanctions could be possible.”