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A women's rugby team from East Kent have had a strip torn off them after performing a topless haka reports The Age online newspaper.

The players from the Canterbury women's rugby team went topless in their version of the Maori sacred war dance for their raunchy 2007 calendar.

But Maori academics have complained their interpretation of the All Blacks' Ka Mate haka was racially ignorant.

"It looks like misuse of the haka to me," said Dr Poia Rewi, senior lecturer in the School of Maori Studies at Otago University in Dunedin, New Zealand.

"I think Maori would be offended by this," he said.

New Zealand broadcaster Willie Jackson asked: "Can you imagine if Maori women did it in this country? There'd be uproar.

"Why didn't they take their tops off and do the Highland Fling?"

The photo of the topless haka is part of the team's 2007 charity calendar which donates part of the proceeds to Breast Cancer Care.

Team member Rebecca Willis said they never meant to offend anyone.

So far they have sold nearly 500 copies of the £7 calendar.

If you would like to help the girls raise more cash for Breast Cancer Care click here to buy your copy of the calendar.