Miss New Zealand Slammed For Haka At Miss World Competition

Miss World New Zealand Deborah Lambie, 24, says she is proud of her haka at the Miss World competition in China despite the performance receiving negative reviews.

The beauty queen placed 15th among the 117 contestants at the competition.

Miss Lambie performed a haka in the talent category.

A video of the haka on her Facebook page received several negative comments.

One person described it as "disgraceful and offensive" and said a performance involving a waiata and poi would have been more suitable.

Another person told Miss Lambie to "learn the role of our wahine".

She added: "You could of done a karanga [call out] or done a haka women style instead of trying to be a man. Some of us women take mana wahine too far. I don't need to perform like a man to be mana wahine."

And someone added that her performance was "more of an insult" and said her "tutors are idiots for letting her do that. Big thumbs down to them."

Other people applauded her haka.

Miss Lambie said the response to the haka in China was fantastic.

"People love New Zealand and love this special part of our culture."

She learned the haka from Kereama Te Ua, a lecturer in Maori Performing Arts at Whitireia Performance Centre in Wellington.

- Otago Daily Times