The Hurricanes Poua did not perform a haka against the Blues' women's rugby team this afternoon, after recent controversy.
The Blues eventually won the game 52-5, after a huge second half saw them score 48 points.
The Hurricanes Poua have caused controversy with their haka on two occasions, with the first labelling the coalition government as "redneck".
Hurricanes Poua coach Ngatai Walker and co captain Layla Sae said it was a team decision that they did not perform a haka at today's match against the Blues.
"We just decided as a team we weren't going to do the haka this week," said Sae.
When asked exactly when the team came to that decision, Sae said she "didn't know".
The second haka last weekend also made references to the government and some bilingual te reo Māori speakers heard Poua haka leader, Leilani Perese, saying the government should "whakangarongaro" or disappear.
It sparked the Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters saying the team could lose support because of naive players damaging the brand.
But the New Zealand Rugby Union said that was misinterpreted.
Chief adviser Māori Luke Crawford said the words could be translated in a number of ways, and must be taken in context.
In this context, it was about refocusing the team.
"It needs to be taken in the context of the whole haka and the other part about it is that it can be translated in in a number of different ways."
