2006 Super 14 Final - Post-match "handbag Incident"

Post-match "handbag Incident"

Former All Black captain Tana Umaga and Chris Masoe were involved in an altercation after the final in the The Jolly Poacher, a bar in Christchurch. Masoe tripped over a male patron's feet whilst walking in the bar. Umaga then intervened, by taking Masoe aside and began hitting him with a nearby women's handbag. The mobile phone inside the bag was broken in the process.

After the incident, Masoe was fined NZ$3000 by the NZRU and it was reported that he punched another patron at the bar. All Black coach, Graham Henry said that he believes that the All Black players may have been discussing Umaga's technique. Umaga received no fine from the NZRU, but replaced the broken phone. The handbag that was used by Umaga was placed on the TradeMe auction website after the event, and at the close of bidding was sold for NZ$22,800.

The incident was later parodied by the Australian television network, Seven, in the build up for the 2006 Tri Nations Series, in a television commercial. The commercial featured the All Blacks performing the haka, with digitally enhanced handbags over their shoulders. New Zealand officials later complained about the ad, saying that it was insensitive to Umaga.