A group of NHS nurses who performed the haka while chanting about ‘destroying’ coronavirus have apologised after being accused of cultural appropriation.

Staff at the Tavistock Day Case Theatre, in West Devon, filmed themselves doing a version of native Māori chant Ka Mate, which is often performed by the New Zealand rugby team. In a video uploaded to social media, they can be seen with black face paint on their cheeks and white tape around their heads.

At the end of the footage, one woman chants: ‘This is the message we wish to affirm, you’ll never beat us we hate you, you germ. Together we’ll triumph with the strength from within. Mankind will destroy you, mankind will win.’

The team have now apologised for the video after it was branded ‘blatant cultural abuse that is verging on being racist’ by Māori cultural advisor Karaitiana Taiuru, in New Zealand.

Describing the performance as ‘absolutely offensive and degrading’, he told Newshub: ‘There is no reasonable excuse why any semi-educated person with access to the internet, from anywhere in the world, to not know that mocking another person’s culture is offensive.’

He added that the headbands and face paint was also ‘reminiscent of culturally appropriated Māori dolls’ as well as a ‘cultural stereotype’ of what Māori people look like.

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The Tavistock Day Case Theatre, a surgical unit, has since issued a statement apologising for the video, saying they had been inspired by other dancing nurses across the country.

They said: ‘We want to offer a wholehearted apology to those we offended with a video we posted on Twitter at the weekend.

‘The video was intended as a show of our commitment as Livewell Southwest nurses to continue to work hard and care for people as we fight Coronavirus.

‘We’ve really enjoyed seeing the video messages from nursing colleagues up and down the country and we are really sorry that our choice of delivery caused offence. Upsetting anyone was the last thing we wanted to do.’

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