New Zealand rugby team slammed online for ‘tone-deaf’ International Women’s Day post

New Zealand Rugby have been heavily criticised for their ‘tone-deaf’ social media post, in reference to International Women’s Day. 

The All Blacks shared a selection of images on Twitter that featured the likes of Aaron Smith and Sevu Reece, alongside women in their lives. The post was captioned: “Forever grateful to all the women in our lives that allow us to play the game we love. Partners, mothers, daughters, doctors, physios, referees, administrators and fans. Appreciate you every day.”

So far, however, the response to the post has been overwhelmingly negative, with many feeling annoyed that the All Blacks chose not to recognise their women’s team, who have won five of the last six World Cups. 

One fan wrote: “Staggering – went to @AllBlacks feed looking for their earlier post celebrating their (hugely successful, won 5 of last 6 world cups) women’s team. Nope. Just below, thank[ing] women who support the men, nobody else worth mentioning. #IWD #InternationalWomensDay.” 

Meanwhile, prominent rugby YouTuber ‘Squidge Rugby’ tweeted: “Even aside from the *questionable* choice of All Blacks here, the fact the NZRU ignores the players who have won five of the last six World Cups in order to suggest women’s role in rugby is solely to support the men is disgusting, telling, and sadly unsurprising.”

Even aside from the *questionable* choice of All Blacks here, the fact the NZRU ignores the players who have won five of the last six World Cups in order to suggest women's role in rugby is solely to support the men is disgusting, telling, and sadly unsurprising. https://t.co/JO3VyIWpZ0

The reference to New Zealand Rugby’s ‘questionable’ choice of personnel relates to winger Reece, who admitted to assaulting his partner in 2018.