Gourt Home::Gourt :: 2006 rugby union handbag controversy
The 2006 rugby union handbag controversy began on the night of the 2006 Super 14 Final, 27 May, 2006, but at time of writing, is still a current event. It revolves around an incident involving a handbag of a partron at Christchurch, New Zealand's The Jolly Poacher tavern. The media of New Zealand reported that former All Black captain, Tana Umaga, struck fellow Hurricane, Chris Masoe with a woman's handbag, causing her cell phone to become broken in the process. Masoe was fined $3000 by the NZRU as punishment.
The incident was reignited later by the Australian television channel, the Seven Network, when it aired a promotional spot featuring the All Blacks performing their haka with the images digitally altered to show the players carrying handbags. This was met poorly on the other side of the Tasman Sea, with All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith saying "It's insensitive, I think, to Māori and disrespectful of the All Blacks".* The incident was covered on Keith Olbermann's nightly "Worst Person in the World" award, coming in third, with a rank of "worse":
The Bronze to the Australian television channel, network Seven, promoting its coverage of Saturday's rugby match between its hometown nation Aussies and New Zealand by altering the video of the New Zealand players so it looks like they are all carrying women's handbags. That's sportsmanship.
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