In response to statements of the validity of UK RFU's and a Maori team at the world cup, Wales, Scotland and England were existing nation states prior to the formation of the United Kingdom (by a Scottish king ironically) and NZ and OZ both share the same official head of state as all UK members. The European Union does not put out a team under the EU banner for the same reasons. The calls for a Maori rugby team at the world cup are the rantings of the publicly stupid minority in NZ that reveal themselves to be merely a tanned version of the sort of racist that more farsighted Pakeha and Maori have been diligently doing their best to make amends for and eradicate from policy implementation roles for a long time. Even the most hardened racial purist could not miss the evidence on display with the faces of a Maori AB's selection, that the threads of NZ ethnicity are woven tightly together. To attempt to rip this tapestry up to assuage the desires of self indulgent political and racially motivated grandstanders would tear this still forming country's heart out (I suspect there are some unknowingly disturbed characters that would relish this though). The whole concept behind the Maori AB's is brilliant and it would be in the best interests of NZ to have it remain but I think it should exist periodically alongside a NZ B team that caters for all Kiwis displaying emerging talent. The MAB's team is not the complete and faithful representation of NZ as a nation that the uniting force of the Mighty AB's truly are and we would be taking a stroll down a dark path to allow racial separatism to be the legacy we create.

NZ Maori . . churrr i remember watching them waste the lions up at hamilton . . i think carlos was there . . it was totally awesome ... the meanest haka too . . havent the ABs come a long way with their haka? we were watching a game from the 80s on sky and it was a crack up they looked like puppets jumping up and down hahaha . . all you haters just think of nz maori as another club side but a family based club side . . . why dont you let the actual rugby players decide? . . i dont think its really anyone elses business . . . churrrr

Enough already about skin colour! The Maori All Black team (not NZ Maori as NZRU prefers now for 'branding' purposes) is selected on ethnic grounds not racist grounds. For those that don't know what ethnicity means:

Ethnicity is the ethnic group or groups that people identify with or feel they belong to. Ethnicity is a measure of cultural affiliation, as opposed to race, ancestry, nationality or citizenship. Ethnicity is self-perceived and people can belong to more than one ethnic group.

An ethnic group is made up of people who have some or all of the following characteristics: - a common proper name - one or more elements of common culture which need not be specified, but may include religion, customs, or language - unique community of interests, feelings and actions - a shared sense of common origins or ancestry, and - a common geographic origin.

Centuries of mixed marriages means physical characteristics and surnames are not an good indicator of ethnicity. One can choose to be one or many ethnicities. Choosing one does not preclude you from being another simultaneously.

Be reminded that Tom Ellison (yes, he is Maori), toured with the 1888/9 Native team in Britain, and the very first New Zealand rugby captain who led New Zealand on their 1893 tour of Australia. At the first General Meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union, Ellison proposed he proposed to the first annual general meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union that the uniform be a black jersey with silver fern monogram, black cap and stockings and white knickerbockers. This was similar to the old Native team uniform, and with a switch to black shorts in 1901 it became the familiar All Black uniform. He was the author of a coaching manual, The Art of Rugby Football in 1902.

Lets all breed with Maori so eventually all of our descendants will qualify for the team.

NZ Maori - such an awesome team, my uncles were in NZ Maori back in the day, but I doubt anyone would want to seriously see NZ Maori playing the ABs in a World Cup . . . why is Sharples wanting to start up this kind of debate? its not something we angst over at club level . . why dont you ask the players from junior rugby through to seniors: typical politicans though, telling us what we need instead of asking us first . . .

Send out a NZ pakeha team and look out....

Yes there should be a Pakeha V Maori match each year . Having a maori team and not a pakeha team is racism against whites . whats good for one is good for the other . Over the last 3 decades racism has blossomed in NZ , there is bitter sentiment on both sides . i clearly remember 30 years ago this was unheard of the harmony was great . The division is now getting wider as each year passes . Unity will not eventuate until all Nzers are under the one set of rules . Seperate gov. depts defined by race is racism in itself .

A Maori team is racist full stop end of story. Aussie #6 you are a idiot sorry thats a given for aussies

It is sad when Politicians like Peter Sharples use events like the Centenary of Maori Rugby to push their political barrows . . . this isnt a Maori Party event . . . why should us Maori union players choose between the ABs and the NZ Maori team? We all have different sentimental feelings for our local clubs/local province/Super 14/NZ Maori/ABs etc . . . but who is Mr Sharples to ask us to choose one above the other? It's like asking me to choose Tainui over my Ngati Porou iwi . . . a dumb question and also . . . none of his business! . . .Go talk to Maori union stalwarts Mr Sharples . . .before you go talking on OUR behalf . . . by the way bro . . . we havent seen you at regional Maori Rugby events over the past 15 years . . . maybe you should turn up at the next one . . .

why don't NZ Maori play a pacific island team like the jaguars?Are the Maori too scared?Ireland and England?yesterdays news ,yaaaaawn!look to the future we are NOT part of old blighty anymore :( stop doffing the cap and kowtowing to the man!

i'm with #6 and i'm a kiwi