Some folks like to moan about the haka, but this new trend of having dignitaries come and greet everyone before a match is both kinda cool and an incredibly boring use of time.

When Moana Pasifika played in Tonga for the first time they had the players go up and meet the Tongan royals in attendance, in Japan the Princess came out to shake the players hands and now Michael Higgins the Irish President getting his time. He’s a rad dude and all but do we really want to have this much fussing about for meaningless one off games?