Radio presenter Sean Plunket says he is not interested in hearing TJ Perenara's opinion on whether or not the All Blacks would welcome a gay team member.
The rugby player weighed in on the subject in an interview with LGBTQIA+ magazine Express, saying the national side embraced diversity.
But speaking on Magic Talk on Wednesday, Plunket had a message for the halfback.
"You're getting a little woke for me TJ. It's making me go off you a bit," the radio host said.
"There's probably already been a gay All Black, they were just in the closet," said Plunket. "But TJ Perenara, jeez you are the best sub halfback, in some ways I'd say the best halfback, in rugby today - you do not need to be woke."
Perenara had earlier told Express that he believed the All Blacks would welcome all team members, regardless of their sexuality.
"Our job is to make sure that people from all communities feel comfortable enough to aspire to want to be an All Black, so I would hope that if anyone from the LGBTQIA+ community became an All Black, they would feel accepted and wanted in the environment," Perenara told the magazine.
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For Plunket, though, the opinion was above Perenara's station.
"Whether or not there is a gay All Black will come. Whether or not you approve it or not has got nothing to do with anything. I'm far more interested in [Ardie] Savea's glasses than your views on gayness, social justice or climate change TJ, you are a rugby player.
"You pass the ball very well, but I am not interested in your views on all these other things."
Perenara's comments making his stance clear were not a first. Earlier this year he was vocal about opposing anti-gay tweets by Australian rugby player Israel Folau.
"Equality, in general, is something that I'm staunch on," Perenara said at the time.
For Plunket, whose own opinions have caused their fair share of controversy in the past, it seems it's unacceptable for Perenara to publicly talk about anything other than rugby.
"I'd like a little less political correctness from TJ Perenara, that is all I am saying."
Newshub.
