Matt Dawson’s ‘Hakarena’ has managed to annoy just about everyone

You can check out former England player and Strictly Come Dancing alumnus Matt Dawson showing off the new routine in this video produced by clothing manufacturer Jacamo, but be warned – you might wish you hadn’t.

A New Zealand camp insider disclosed that the players were deeply unimpressed with Dawson’s mocking display, believing that it denigrated the profound cultural significance of the Maori war dance to New Zealanders.

“The Hakarena video acknowledges the sheer might of the reigning champions, New Zealand, and takes a typically English, self-deprecating look at what our version of the legendary Haka might be”.

This time the hook for a press pack eager to find something to fill their days ahead of Saturday’s opening match between England and Fiji was a daft video by former England halfback Matt Dawson in which he pokes fun at the traditional challenge with his own version which he dubs the “Hakarena”.

“The haka is very meaningful to us”, he said.

Mealamu fronted the All Blacks media call flanked by props Charlie Faumuina and Wyatt Crockett, who said the haka was special to the All Blacks and something they did for themselves. “So if they’re doing something to mock the haka, then I think that’s pretty shameful”. “To actually mimic it and deliberately bring it into ridicule is, to me, insulting”.

Mealamu said he started doing the haka when he was four years old in his backyard, trying to emulate his rugby heroes. “The current world champions are in unbelievable form with awesome power, strength, depth and one secret weapon – the haka”.

No, us neither. But someone in England thought about it, and they’ve got one now.

“They think they have won the game before a ball has even been kicked”.

It combines the Maori haka with the 1994 dance hit the Macarena, with Dawson leading the way, backed by team-mates from the Battersea Ironsides rugby club.

“We were all up for it and had it down in about 15 minutes”.