Veteran Australian rugby commentator Gordon Bray has apologised after describing a Wallabies player's 'golliwog haircut' during the broadcast of the opening Bledisloe Cup encounter.
Bray was calling the test live as part of the Ten commentary team at ANZ Stadium, and used the term to describe the hairstyle of Wallabies hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau.
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Bray told the Sydney Morning Herald he was sorry for the comment.
"It was made in an affectionate manner and it was not intended to be offensive in any way," he said.
"It was something I said on the spur of the moment. I almost didn't recognise him with the short back and sides do and the inference was that it had been very fuzzy. Probably if I'd said what happened to his 'fuzzy-wuzzy' haircut that would have been more appropriate.
"I know the guy, I have great respect for him. When he played at Suncorp Stadium [last year] he had that massive hair and so I was saying it was hard to recognise him with the new haircut."
Bray has been calling Australia-New Zealand tests since the 1980s.
The All Blacks won the match 38-13 in front of 66,000 fans. The two teams will clash again next weekend at Eden Park.
Newshub.