BUCK Shelford’s views on the haka and its place in New Zealand society are as straightforward as they were when he and Hika Reid, the New Zealand hooker, were approached in 1985 to spruce up the All Blacks Ka Mate act after it had become more like a Bavarian Slap Dance.
Shelford was a physical training instructor in the NZ Navy at the time – where hakas were performed regularly – and he and Reid said they would do it only if the management and the other players were 100 per cent committed.
“We said we do it correctly so that we don’t disrespect our people, or b...