A group of hospital staff in the UK have been criticised after performing a "cringeworthy" haka to show their "passion and drive to beat coronavirus".
In a video posted to Twitter on Saturday, nurses from Tavistock Hospital, in Devon, can be seen performing Ka Mate with what appears to be bandages around their heads. Others can be seen sporting dark markings under their eyes.
"Our passion and drive to beat Coronavirus from the whole Tavistock Hospital team, theatre, medical ward, hotel services, admin," Tavistock Day Case Theatre wrote.
During the performance, a nurse holding a piece of medical equipment says, "You'll never beat us, we hate you, you germ! Together we'll triumph with strength from within!
"Mankind will destroy you, mankind will win!"
While the hospital told the BBC the haka was a moment of "wonderful bonding", many Twitter users derided the performance.
"I’d rather take my chances with the virus than have any of these weirdos near me," one Twitter user wrote.
"This is the most cringeworthy thing I've seen in 2020. And it's only April," another wrote.
Several Twitter users questioned how hospital staff had time to coordinate the routine.
"So, our overrun, overworked hospital staff has time to coordinate, rehearse, and film these little dances? Okie dokie!" one user wrote.
"If you have all this time to keep doing dance routines, you must have plenty of free time! I work in a shop that sells food. I can only just muster 15 minutes all day for a sandwich break. We are literally working non-stop every day," another added.
A Kiwi nurse took to Twitter to call for the hospital to "take this down and say sorry."
"This is not appropriate, it's insulting, and as nurses you should know better. Please read up on Cultural Safety, a nursing theory that arose from the experiences of Māori nurses," they wrote.
However, other Twitter users could be seen defending the video.
"Give them a break ... High pressure job letting off a bit of steam with a bit of loonacy [sic] is great for morale & shares their hope for the future - be really worried when they stop dancing for they will have lost hope. Support #NHSheroes," one user wrote.
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