Mon 8 Sep 2014 | 08:26
Female Streaker has no regrets after high shot near miss in Napier

8
Comments

A female streaker who took to the field during the All Blacks' 28-9 victory over Argentina on Saturday was lucky to leave with only a ban after security nearly took her head off. She's since said that streaking was on her bucket list, so has no regrets.

With the game petering out in Napier, Rose Kupa took to the field and sprinted across diagonally, evading security before finally being brought down somewhere around the opposite 22m line.

The 25-year-old was arrested and given a pre-charge warning for disorderly behaviour, as well as banned from McLean Park for two years. She isn't too bothered though.

"I was actually aiming for Richie (McCaw)," she said afterwards.

Rupa was lucky to not get a bad knock in the head when security flew at her, but she managed to evade it. All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has sided with her, to an extent, saying that reactions like that aren't really necessary.

"It's not that big a deal is it?" Hansen said, adding that she should have been stopped earlier.

"She entertained everybody there for about 35 seconds. My beef is how they get on (streakers in general, to the field). I think we've got to have a better plan with how we stop them getting on and we probably don't have to smash them over either when we finally catch up with them."

This follows another incident in New Zealand recently whereby a Canterbury squad member was working as a security guard and launched into a pitch invader's back when he streaked in Dunedin.

The naked man in question on that night has since said he is surprised that Kupa was let off with only a warning, whereas he was fined $500.

"She touched a player (Israel Dagg). And she was showing a bit more than me anyway," he said. "It should be the same rule for everyone. If anything, I thought they would've been a bit harsher on her after the one I did."

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Credit: Reuben Cooper

8 Comments

  • eddie-g
    5:43 PM 09/09/2014

    I do like the sheepdog idea. That is good.

    Dude streakers, if they incorporate a prank element, should be leniently treated too. If a streaker could somehow join a backline move, or go celebrate a try, that would be awesome.

  • stroudos
    1:54 PM 09/09/2014

    Spot on Eddie. Couldn't agree more. Although I would add - as a thoroughly sinful sexist (aka normal red-blooded bloke) myself - I would have a sliding scale whereby men would be penalised more as a matter of course. A bloke streaking is funny, a woman streaking is both funny and excellent. Anyone running on a pitch with clothes on is a cowardly scumbag.

    Here is a rough approximation of my proposed sliding scale:

    Clothed pitch-invader - smashed by security, kicked repeatedly, dragged off to a police cell for 24 hours solitary confinement with no food or water. Fined a month's salary. Obliged to wear a badge saying "too gutless to streak properly" for a whole week.

    Naked man - swiftly escorting from the field by security, plus gentle slap on the wrist.

    Naked woman - no penalty and actively encouraged to run around a bit more, get security to sort of manoeuvre her around the pitch like a sheepdog rounding up a rogue sheep.

  • stroudos
    1:42 PM 09/09/2014

    Where's the dislike button?

  • danknapp
    8:16 PM 08/09/2014

    You had me until 'any Sharks cheerleader could streak' and then I kinda phased out.

  • eddie-g
    3:53 PM 08/09/2014

    Are we having a debate about equal rights for streakers? Cool.

    So, first rule, unless you take all your kit off, you aren't streaking. You are trespassing. You are a potential Piet van Zyl, and the security will treat you as such. If you can't be bothered to streak properly, you bear the consequences. Or bare them. One of those words.

    If you do streak properly, you've earned some man points. Or woman points. The question is if all man points and woman points are equal. This is entirely situational. Reasonable people can disagree if Brian Baenhoff is a hero or a complete legend. Reasonable people can pass judgement Rose Kupa. This is impossible to call in a general sense.

    Let me put it this way, any Sharks cheerleader could streak and 99% of rugby fans would speak in her defence. This is objectively true. But I would not want to see Piet van Zyl streak. If that makes me a sinful sexist, so be it.

  • reality
    2:38 PM 08/09/2014

    If you want to interrupt the game by running around naked I think you should be prepared to get absolutely smashed when the security finally catch you. And if female streakers can't be treated heavy-handedly just because they're women then they shouldn't streak in the first place.

    And Steve Hansen can do his best to look like a nice-guy all he wants but to say that the security measures in place should prevent this is a bit hopeful. To make it absolutely impossible to streak would require a massive security presence with fences and guards everywhere. Paying an extra few hundred thousand per game to make sure c**ts like this don't streak doesn't seem very feasible.

    The difference in punishment between her and the guy is also ridiculous.

  • pretanivirago
    2:26 PM 08/09/2014

    Well, it's not the females that are setting the standard now is it?

  • erik
    1:35 PM 08/09/2014

    Lol, stewards diving on her like a dog on peanut butter.

    The double standards (guy fines $500 vs. this woman not fined) are ridiculous. Women want to be emancipated, let them pay a hefty fine as well?