Why dont the NZ Maori Team play at the RWC.?

Question

Again I ask, why can't NZ Maori play a team at the RWC. If you can play rugby matches which are noted as test matches then why can't your team be recognised. We are a country of unity yet Maori still remain Tangata Whenua, so with all of this in mind why shouldn't they be allowed to represent themselves in the biggest rugby world stage. If any other country natives wanted to do so why shouldn't they. If you refer to representing your country then you must ask, you have to be Scottish to play for Scotland, you have to be American to play for America, you have to be South African to be playing for South Africa, then you would have to be Maori to play for NZ Maori, not white or Black but MAORI. Also NZ Maori not only beat Japan but also Australia, England and many of other countries when they went on a winning rampage. Before the law changed you as a Pacific islander could go back and play for your country of origin if you wanted.

Answer 1

Because we already have a team to represent New Zealand, the All Blacks.  The only reason the Maori are Tangata Whenua is because they ate all of the Moriori, who were here before them.  Move on for crying out loud.  One country, one team.

Answer 2

If you pushed your argument to the limit, you could put club teams in which might be better than national teams.

Simply, Maori is not a Country so not eligible, never will be.

If any Maori is good enough, they will play fro the All blacks

Answer 3

One word.

Terrorist.

Answer 4

To all those who say The NZ Maori Rugby Team IS NOT a National team need to get a grip, seriously!!!, just like the ABs, the U17s, U19s, Junior ABs, the black ferns (just to name a few) are ALL NATIONAL teams and represent NEW ZEALAND.

Likewise those who say maori do not have a country they do NEW ZEALAND also known as Aotearoa come on people get your facts right, and before you start jumping all over me for saying Maori were the first on this Island - (and not going into to much detail cos this is a rugby forum) although it was believe the moriori inhabited NZ before the maori their is no evidence to support this and is believe the maori inhabited with or shortly after the moriori.

Triguel.... the maori team a junior team bullocks!!!

Hypnotoa..... as long as they can prove maori heritage (unsure if it is grandparent heritage now or back further heritage) they can still play for the maori team which means their are many other races besides maori in the NZ maori team. http://www.allblacks.com/index.cfm?layou... - The 2007 squad, some players look far from maori.

whottaped....omg I cant believe you said that lol the charges were dropped....

edit: Trish o yes you are right about the NZ culture....

All that to say now Ive lost my fricken point.....

oh ok since the RWC falls under the banner of the IRB I presume it is up to the IRB to make that descision, therefore I dont think its a country thing or a national team thing its an IRB thing, lets just say the IRB are plonkers!!.

edit: I forgot something..... although I think the NZ maori team are not eligible?? for the RWC I do think they are more than capable of joining other teams on the biggest rugby world stage!!

btw NZ maori have not played a home game since the British invasion in 2005, hence the IRBs move to include them in the pacific nations cup where they will play plenty more home games.

phew im all done now......lol

Answer 5

While nobody doubts the NZ Maori's abilities (as a British & Irish Lions fan I can vouch for this) and while - like the Barbarians or the Pacific Islanders team - they are always a pleasure to watch, the fact that the NZ rugby union already enter a side into the world cup means that entering a second team would be unfair on all the other countries.  And as for letting a team formed exclusively of one race be the sole NZ representative.... didn't South Africa use to do something like that in the '80s?

Answer 6

It's not a national team.

The World Cup is for National teams.

New Zealand are represented by, er... oh yeah, New Zealand.

Just like England have England in the world Cup.

Do you see a pattern forming here?

Answer 7

NZM does not represent the whole of NZ. It is moari that can play. The whole country must be present.

Answer 8

The Maori team is not a national team.

Answer 9

I see what you mean, but the NZ Maoris are not a country on their own so they shouldn't be allowed to play in a WC in which countries are represented. If they were, then almost all countries will form their own new teams and want to compete.

Answer 10

Hey mate this is 2007 and we are one  in this beautiful country of ours so therefore there should be only one team to represent us and that is the AB's. Its great having the Maori AB's but when it comes to the WC, then its the AB's for me. As for Tangata whenua, I hardly think so we are not the first in this country and we are lucky the Europeans did'nt to us what we did to the Moriori.Dont you think? lets move on heard this all befor and it bugs me that it keeps cropping up. Our blood is part euro and god knows what else now.Its great that we remember our heritage but when it comes to issues of national importance then we are one nation.

Answer 11

The only way that you could have a team comprised of only Maori players is if you were to branch off and form your own island for just Maori's. Then you could call it Maori Land and have your own little team.

Or you could just consider that fact that the NZ Maori are like a junior team that sometimes feeds into the All Blacks, so if the Maori work hard, they can represent New Zealand as the All Blacks.

Answer 12

I understand your argument but teams represented at the RWC are national teams. There are a number of Maori players in the All Blacks who represent New Zealand. However, some people commenting on this question are not getting your point because they know nothing about NZ culture.