Popping a manu: New Zealand searches for dive-bombing champion
The country's best will showcase New Zealand's unique water diving obsession at the Z Manu World Champs in Auckland on Saturday. A manu is a diving technique similar to a bomb, developed by Māori and Pasifika communities, which has become a national pastime. Jumpers launch into the air, then twist themselves into a v-shape before they hit the surface, forcing water upwards in a huge splash. The aim of a manu is to create the highest splash
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Wales Online
18-05-2025
- Wales Online
Axed Wales coach does it again as famous night stuns Super Rugby
Axed Wales coach does it again as famous night stuns Super Rugby The former Wales assistant coach is building his reputation with Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby Moana Pasifika celebrate beating Blues (Image: 2025 Getty Images ) Former Wales captain Stephen Jones has helped steer Moana Pasifika to yet another huge result. Ardie Savea's Pasifika defeated local rivals Blues 27-21 in another huge scalp for the Super Rugby outfit. Jones has been assistant coach at the club since November, 2023 after losing his job with Wales, and just a few weeks ago the club managed to beat Crusaders for the first time ever. While it wasn't the same huge scoreline, Pasifika dispatched a Blues side who boast the likes of Beauden Barrett, Caleb Clarke and Rieko Ioane. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Kyren Taumoefolau bagged a hat-trick for Pasifika at North Harbour Stadium, to mark their third win in a row against New Zealand opposition. It was also their first-ever victory over the Blues. After 14 rounds of action in Super Rugby, Pasifika are currently within the play-off places in sixth place. ACT Brumbies are top of the table with 43 points, while Blues are in seventh, just outside the top six but level on points with Pasifika. Article continues below It's another significant feather in the cap of Jones, who is thriving alongside head coach and All Blacks great Tana Umaga. Jones - who won 104 caps for his country - said it was a "no brainer" to accept the job as Umaga's assistant less than 18 months ago. He had served as Wales' attack coach under Wayne Pivac but departed at the end of 2022 when Warren Gatland returned as head coach and he was deemed surplus to requirements. Previously, he had been part of Pivac's coaching team at the Scarlets, winning the PRO12 title in 2017. After spending time with Umaga at the Blues during the previous season, Jones admitted he didn't need much convincing to take on his next challenge with Pasifika. "I was very honoured to get the call," he told Newshub last year. 'I had a conversation with Tana and didn't have to think about it too long. Article continues below "It was the opportunity to work with great people for a great team. To work in Super Rugby was something that excited me – to learn, get better. It was a no-brainer. "The people I'm working with are incredible. "The playing group, we've been working them very, very hard, they've been open-minded, willing to learn and willing to grow. The experience has been top drawer."
The Guardian
28-03-2025
- The Guardian
Running shoe brand Hoka accused of misappropriating Māori culture
Popular sportswear company Hoka has been accused of failing to acknowledge the Māori origins of its name by Indigenous intellectual property experts in New Zealand, making it the latest in a string of global brands to be accused of misappropriating Māori culture. The French American firm, which specialises in running shoes, takes its name from the Māori word hoka, meaning 'to fly'. Its logo, a bird in flight, mirrors the word's meaning, as does its tagline 'fly, human, fly'. In its early days, the company attributed its name – which was then Hoka One One, loosely meaning 'to fly over the earth' in Māori – to the 'ancient Māori language'. That attribution disappeared from its 'about' section after Deckers Brands took ownership in 2012. The brand now makes no mention of the name's origin on its website. 'If they don't want to associate themselves as being a Māori word – they need to stop using it,' said Lynell Tuffery Huria, who is recognised as the first Māori patent attorney and is a leading expert on Indigenous intellectual property rights. 'Why are you using that word if you're not prepared to acknowledge its whakapapa [origin] and its history and to engage with the Indigenous people from which the word comes from?' she asked. Hoka has not responded to the Guardian's requests for comment. Māori words, concepts and motifs – be they tattoo, design or art – are often rich in meaning and history, and their use is frequently governed by a set of protocols, or tikanga. Not observing tikanga risks undermining Māori culture, and puts brands at risk of being challenged, Tuffery Huria said. In recent years, a number of international brands have faced criticism for using Māori words and imagery. In 2020, Formula One driver Fernando Alonso's clothing line was accused of cashing in on Māori culture. A year later, a UK carpet company was criticised for using Māori culture to sell carpet. Gaming companies have come under fire for using Māori tattoos on their characters, while social media companies have faced outrage for creating Māori facial tattoo filters. In New Zealand, Air New Zealand prompted outrage when it attempted to trademark an image of the Māori greeting 'Kia Ora' in 2019. That same year, a cruise ship company was forced to apologise after its staff dressed up in wildly inaccurate Māori costumes to perform a greeting for its guests. Beer companies have similarly faced backlash for using Māori ancestors on their bottles. Tuffery Huria is not against brands using Māori words, as long as they have followed best practice, including consulting with Indigenous communities. 'We want to share our culture, we want to share our language, we want to share our narratives … but it needs to be respected and protected in a manner that's consistent with how we view it.' Two of Hoka's shoe styles – Arahi and Hopara – also take their names from Māori. Hopara should be spelled hōpara, and means 'to explore'. Arahi can mean 'to lead' and, in some contexts, its use is considered sacred, says Dr Karaitiana Taiuru, a leading intellectual property rights expert. 'By putting something sacred on your feet, or on your shoes, it's kind of saying you have got no respect for the culture. That's quite offensive,' Taiuru said, adding that it would be akin to putting an image of a royal family member on the bottom of his shoe. A Hoka video on social media from 2019 shows a Māori musician teaching viewers how to pronounce the brand's name correctly, during Māori language week. But in the company's more recent videos, the word Hoka and it's Māori-named shoe styles, are mispronounced. Hoka should, at a minimum, pronounce its own name correctly, Taiuru said. 'By not doing it, that shows a huge amount of disrespect.' There is a very fine line between appropriation and appreciation of cultures, Taiuru said, and the best way brands such as Hoka can honour Indigenous cultures is to consult with them. 'If you're going to use someone else's culture for your own product, you should at least know what the value of that cultural item is and acknowledge it.'
The Guardian
01-03-2025
- The Guardian
Popping a manu: New Zealand searches for dive-bombing champion
The country's best will showcase New Zealand's unique water diving obsession at the Z Manu World Champs in Auckland on Saturday. A manu is a diving technique similar to a bomb, developed by Māori and Pasifika communities, which has become a national pastime. Jumpers launch into the air, then twist themselves into a v-shape before they hit the surface, forcing water upwards in a huge splash. The aim of a manu is to create the highest splash
