Former England prop Jason Leonard (56, 114 caps) has reacted to comments made by his compatriot Joe Marler. Joe Marler on the Haka of the All Blacks. In an interview with the media SportsBoom Leonard defended the famous traditional dance. “Personally, I think the haka should be kept; it’s part of rugby’s DNA. When I take my kids to rugby and New Zealand play, they are absolutely blown away by the haka. It would be a shame to get rid of it.

“The Haka should be done away with, it’s ridiculous”England prop Joe Marler wrote on social network X before the controversy began. He then published a message of appeasement after the controversy had arisen: “Context is everything. I’m just having fun trying to generate interest before a big rugby match. There are some crazy responses. Lots of love. I also needed to satisfy my narcissism.”