Former England footballer Gary Lineker has backed down over criticism of the All Blacks' haka, coming in the wake of last night's 63-0 Rugby World Cup victory over Canada in Oita.
After Irish writer Ewan McKenna called the All Blacks' haka an "unfair advantage," ex-England striker Lineker took to Twitter, in order to poke fun at the pre-match tradition.
"Must be so hard not to just laugh at this if you’re the opposition," Lineker wrote.
"Just a bit bored by it now. How would a dance in anyway intimidate a sportsman. Their rugby ability is another matter entirely but the haka... nah."
However, after TVNZ broadcaster John Campbell called Lineker out, the BBC Match of the Day host deleted his original tweet.
"It's extraordinary, a generation into the 21st century, that even people as (reputedly) thoughtful as Lineker can peddle this kind of contempt, condescension & ignorance," Campbell wrote.
"English whiteness as normative... and other races/cultures as comedic or inferior or odd. Grow up."
Having deleted the initial tweet, Lineker replied with: "I've deleted the tweet as it wasn't intended that way in the slightest. I was just wondering why as an opposing sportsmen it would be in anyway intimidating after seeing it for so many years. I should probably have phrased it that way."
Lineker's original comments didn't wash well with the rugby-supporting Twitter community either, with Welsh writer Simon Thomas leading the charge by saying:
"The haka is an important part of New Zealand culture and widely respected by opposition teams and supporters," he wrote.
Tamati Rimene-Sproat spoke with Ewan MacKenna. (Source: Other)
"It adds hugely to the sense of occasion too."
Former Daily Mirror editor and TV host Piers Morgan also chipped in, defending the All Blacks' tradition.
"The Haka is one of the greatest spectacles in sport, and of huge cultural importance in New Zealand," Morgan said.
"Weird that you would mock it."
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