Up the Waratahs? Christopher Luxon's embarrassing Warriors gaffe
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has suffered an embarrassing slip of the tongue at the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting, mixing up the Warriors with Super Rugby Pacific strugglers, the Waratahs.
In Palau for the leaders meeting, the Prime Minister was asked to respond to his Australian opposite Anthony Albanese’s assessment of the NRL.
The Warriors sit on top of the NRL on points differential, while Albanese’s team, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, are sixth heading into this weekend’s final round of the regular season.
“I gave [Albanese] a hard time about it last night,” Luxon began. “It’s going to be the Waratahs ... it’s going to be the Warriors versus the Dolphins is what I’m thinking,” he said before correcting himself.
Both teams are guaranteed a place in the NRL finals, however the Warriors will be guaranteed at least two home finals matches for a top-two finish, while the Rabbitohs will only get one after missing the top four.
The Warriors will face one of the Dolphins or the Sydney Roosters in week one of the NRL finals, while the Rabbitohs could face either the Cronulla Sharks, the Newcastle Knights or the North Queensland Cowboys, depending on the final round’s results.
This isn’t the Prime Minister’s first embarrassing sport-related gaffe, either.
In 2023, Luxon described himself as having been a Crusaders supporter “since he was a small boy”. In reality, the Crusaders and Super Rugby itself were not established until 1996, by which point Luxon would have been in his mid-twenties.
Joking aside, though, the Prime Minister also shared his love for rugby league and his respect for the Warriors – now preparing for their third finals appearance in the four years under coach Andrew Webster.
“I’m a big Wahs fan,” he continued. “I’ve been very much kindly invited into the changing rooms. I’ve been there twice.
“I’m a big fan of Andrew Webster and what he’s done building back that culture, and [chief executive] Cam George. They’ve done an amazing job.
“It’s been a real privilege to be there. I just love the energy around the sport, I love the fact they’re making it an entertaining product.
“This year, the standard and the work rate of some of the leaders in that team have been absolutely phenomenal. When you see their performances, they’re at the next level.
“You’re seeing NRL across the Pacific. Rugby league is really getting energy.
“You go to a rugby league game these days, it’s exciting. You can take a family along, there’s stuff going on, it’s energetic.
“It’s a great code, it’s a growth code. Even in Samoa and Tonga, we’re seeing rugby league take off. Papua New Guinea is going to be massive, they’ve got the Chiefs coming on stream in 2028, some of the best players in the tournament there.
“It’s pretty exciting. Up the Wahs.”
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