Haka fine a case of hypocrisy

World Rugby has reached new heights of hypocrisy by fining England for their haka hijinks just a couple of days after promoting it online.

The game’s governing body posted a video in its social media channels lauding ‘‘England’s incredible response to the haka’’.

By 11am yesterday the clip had had almost 4 million views on YouTube.

But at the same time World Rugby’s marketing department was garnering online clicks, its fun police were doing their dastardly worse.

English media have revealed World Rugby has fined England up to $5000 after their creative V-formation response to the All Blacks’ Kapa O Pango haka before the World Cup semifinal.

It was good enough a day ago to publicly promote England’s actions, but now it is hitting them lightly in the pocket.

In reality, a four-figure fine is World Rugby’s equivalent of a slap across the wrist with a wet bus ticket. It amounts to a couple of flat whites every day of the year for England coach Eddie Jones – at London coffee prices.

The derisory sum is hardly likely to break the Rugby Football Union’s bank. England’s governing body – the richest in the sport – shelled out around $80,000 per player for the win over the All Blacks.

Yes, England did cross the line – protocols dictate teams must be at least 20m away, behind their own 10m lines.

So World Rugby had to take action – or it would be opening the door for a return to the bad old days when the All Blacks’ opponents went nose-to-nose at haka time.

But this risible fine reflects the seriousness – or lack thereof – of the breach.

Many rugby people – including ex-All Blacks – found England’s V-formation a creative response to a ritual which has given New Zealand rugby teams an adrenalin edge for decades.

Ali Williams told former England midfielder Mike Tindall he liked it ‘‘because the haka is an arrow formation so they can stare at you’’.

Andrew Mehrtens wrote in The Times that England ‘‘took control of the situation’’.

‘‘They responded in a way that they knew they were going to but the All Blacks didn’t. Even the time it took to take off their tracksuits will have given them a feeling of control and initiative and that was borne out by the five furious minutes that followed.’’

Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus, who faced down the haka in his playing career, said England weren’t being disrespectful. He found England’s response to be ‘‘new and exciting’’ and said it had ‘‘brought spice’’ to the match.

Most All Blacks welcome a haka challenge because it gets them even more fired up. They’d prefer a spirited reaction to the indifference shown by Wallabies wing David Campese who turned his back and kicked a ball between the posts during the haka before the 1991 Rugby World Cup semifinal.

Many opposition teams are wary of poking the All Blacks bear by getting too in their face. That’s why England captain Martin Johnson barked at hooker Richard Cockerill, who clashed with Norm Hewitt at a haka in 1997: ‘‘What the hell have you done now?’’

England – in a cunning plan hatched by crafty coach Eddie Jones and senior players – came up with a much more subtle statement in Japan.

It was certainly more clever than France’s encroachment before the 2011 Rugby World Cup final – a breach, led by inspirational captain Thierry Dusatoir, that cost them $5000.

England’s reaction was the second time the haka had been brought into sharp focus in Japan.

Some New Zealanders took to social media in disgust when Springboks supporters in the Yokohama Stadium crowd began singing Ole, Ole as Kieran Read and T J Perenara led the All Blacks through a rousing rendition of Kapa O Pango in the opening pool match on September 21.

Haka expert Tapeta Wehi, who runs the Haka Experience company in Auckland, was relaxed at the South African supporters’ singing and did not see it as disrespectful.

‘‘The majority of teams these days do seem to respond in a respectful way. It’s not really up to us to say, ‘You need to show us respect while we do this haka’, even if it’s on our own whenua.’’

Now all that remains is to see if World Rugby re-posts the haka video when it eventually gets around to officially confirming England’s fine.

Wales coach Warren Gatland won’t want to be trumped by Jones so it will be fascinating to see what the Welsh do at haka time before the playoff for third place tomorrow night.