The mullet stays because it makes me faster, says NZ's Goodhue
SHOWS:
TOKYO, JAPAN (OCTOBER 18, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND CENTRE, JACK GOODHUE, SAYING:
"I am not getting rid of the mullet Kirsty. You can ask this every week, it is not going. There is actually scientific evidence that shows that it actually makes me faster. It was done at Harvard I think, that did the research."
(SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND LOCK, SAM WHITELOCK, SAYING:
"Jack, when you get married are you going to cut it? Is it going to stay or not? Can you say it publicly?"
(SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND CENTRE, JACK GOODHUE, SAYING:
"Did you read the Woman's Day article? So you will find out on the day won't you."
REPORTER ASKING: "There are a few malfunctions, I don't think George (Bridge) was very happy with the haircut he got, it was a bit short on the sides, would you trust them, would you trust them Sam, the local hairdressers?"
(SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND LOCK, SAM WHITELOCK, SAYING:
"I have talked about my hair before, I think I have got about four haircuts left so I am trying to make the most of it."
(SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND ASSISTANT COACH, IAN FOSTER, SAYING:
"To be fair it has been a highlight of the week. They line up all these chairs in the team room and then about six or seven hairdressers come in and it is actually quite a show. There has been some mis-cuts, I guess - that George Bridge one... he is hoping for some very sunny days to get rid of the white line right around the back of the neck. Don't look at it tomorrow because you will embarrass him."
STORY: Jack Goodhue's long debated and much-maligned mullet is staying, no matter how many times his All Blacks team mates, coaches or the media tell him it is out of fashion.
The 24-year-old Goodhue inspired a 'mullet club' last year in the All Blacks with lock Brodie Retallick, flyhalf Beauden Barrett and flanker Sam Cane also growing their hair out at the back.
That trio abandoned the haircut earlier this year, prompting Goodhue to state he had been "betrayed".
Since then he has been frequently asked how long he would hold out as the sole member of the club, despite team mates like Rieko Ioane publicly labelling it as "disgusting".
"I'm not getting rid of the mullet," Goodhue told reporters ahead of their Rugby World Cup quarter-final with Ireland at Tokyo Stadium on Saturday (October 19). "You can ask this every week but it's not going."
Goodhue says there is good reason to keep it.
"There is actually scientific evidence that shows that it actually makes me faster," he dead panned, prompting a fit of laughter in the media room.
The relaxed nature of the All Blacks' final media appearance before the quarter-final was in stark contrast to their clipped and punchy conferences earlier in the week as the knockout phase came into view. Assistant coach Ian Foster said the squad had embraced the significance of the match against Ireland.
