1
'You've never been in the arena': All Black responds after posting 'disrespectful' video after France loss
By Kim Ekin
All Black halfback TJ Perenara has responded publicly to complaints after he took to social media following the All Blacks 27-13 loss to France in Paris to call out “everyone talking sh**”.
ADVERTISEMENT
The 83 Test halfback defended the national side by posting a video on social media where he told certain fans to “shush” because “you’ve never been in the arena”.
The No 9 predicted that the All Blacks would be back, along with the New Zealand Warriors and UFC fighter Israel Adesanya, who all ended up in defeat on the same weekend.
“Obviously been a tough week for sport here in New Zealand,” Perenara said on a video posted to social media.
“But everyone talking sh**, firstly shush, you’ve never been in the arena.
“And secondly this is the time we need to get behind our teams and our athletes.
“Izzy [Israel Adesanya] will be back, the Wahs [Warriors] will be back, and the ABs [All Blacks] will be back.”
After blowback from Kiwi fans who thought that the message was “disrespectful” to the supporters of the All Blacks, Perenara responded with a second video to clarify his intentions.
“Now my message wasn’t to be disrespectful to the New Zealand public,” Perenara clarified in a second video.
ADVERTISEMENT
“It’s aimed at the people abusing our teams and athletes online.
“But other people shared a similar opinion to Mark and it got me thinking, so many people support and love our game, but do we know the game as much as we actually think we do.
“So if you have any opinions or critiques on what the team can do going forward let me know.
“I’m geniunely interested to see what knowledge is out there and if I think any of it is valid.”
I hope Perenara gives himself a stern talking to for criticising people for criticising other people.
By his reasoning shouldn't he just be blindly sycophantic towards the AB critics? He's obviously not a 'real fan' of frustrated and disappointed AB fans.
TJ should shush himself. No-one needs to have been "in the arena" to know when players are shit. He's not the filter through which all opinions are sifted , ranked, & graded. If he's referring to haters & abusers, then label them specifically. There's no excuse for this type of vitriol. But there are multitudes of fans who love the ABs who from time to time have a crack. As they should. To try to cancel & belittle them is arrogant. Get down off that pedestal TJ.
T.J has a point, if you only support a team when it is winning then you are just a band wagon rider
The downfall starts when the "sportsman" turn on the fans. When you can't handle the heat, get out the kitchen
What's with the aimless kicking?
Good on TJ Perenara for Highlighting the arrogance of the so called supporter's of New Zealand 🇳🇿 Sportsmen, and Sportswomen. Abusing, and accusing our Sportsmen, and sportswomen is not the sort of encouragement they need when they down. They are like any other Zealander who are the feeling pain when things don't turn out the way we expect. The All Black's, The Warrior's, and Izzy Ardesanye will be hurting 💯% for letting their supporter's, and country down.
As my aunty Barbara once said to me, "Nephew, if you think you can do better than that person you are running down, why don't you go and take their place, and see if you can do better." People when our sportswomen, and sportsmen lose, they need our support of, "LOVE, AND ENCOURAGEMENT!" Not The Abuse, And/Or Accusation.
The main thing about all these sportsmen regardless of country is that the spectators should be respected as the people who are paying for this. If businessmen or women make mistakes they get fired and disciplined. Spectators are shareholders and have no other means to raise their displeasure, it should be done with a respect. Also Jeff Wilson was as disrespectful as the fans towards the opposition after losing to the Boks, why did Perenara not silence him or are retired All Blacks the only people qualified to insult?
AB were poor and you don’t have to be a former all black to see it
Don’t speak unless you are one of the elite type comments just don’t wash anymore
Certainly plenty to speculate
The emphasis on individuals trying to win the game must change to a team belief and team achievements and the use of team skills!