Maro Itoje won't sing iconic England anthem during the Autumn Internationals
Rugby NewsMonday, 28 October 2024 at 12:45
Mngland's rugby powerhouse Maro Itoje has taken a personal stand, choosing to stay quiet on the anthem "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."
But before you raise an eyebrow, Itoje isn’t calling for the Twickenham faithful to hold back. Instead, he’s simply opting out himself, saying he won’t be singing along anymore.
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RFU's Verdict – Swing Low Stays, But Fans Get a History Lesson
With the anthem rooted in a U.S. slave spiritual, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) took a closer look. After some soul-searching, they decided the tune would remain part of Twickenham tradition. But the RFU plans to educate – cue social media posts, match-day reminders, and a new spotlight on diverse voices in rugby. In their words, “The RFU will not ban Swing Low, Sweet Chariot as it has a long-held place in rugby history, but we’ll use our platforms to educate fans on its origins.”
Former Players Speak Out – It Doesn’t Sit Easy for Everyone
The anthem’s history isn’t lost on England rugby legends. Ex-hooker Brian Moore has been vocal, admitting he “hates it,” while Maggie Alphonsi, former Women’s flanker, shared that it no longer “sits easy” with her.
Itoje’s Take – "Knowing Now… It’s Not an Anthem I’m Going to Repeat"
In an interview with L’Équipe, Itoje opened up about his choice: “I’m not going to tell people what they should or shouldn’t do, but personally, I won’t sing this song anymore.” Reflecting on how he once sang it “naively,” he now feels different about it, understanding the context of its origin.
The “Swing Low” Backstory – From “Chariots” Offiah to Chris Oti’s Hat-trick
The song reportedly made its Twickenham debut in 1987 when Martin “Chariots” Offiah took the field at the Middlesex Sevens. The crowd embraced it again in 1988 as Chris Oti scored a famous hat-trick, and the anthem became synonymous with England Rugby.
Origins Unveiled – A Song Born Out of Slavery
While it rings out in stadiums, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" traces back to a painful history in the 1860s U.S., attributed to Wallace Willis, an enslaved man. The chant has traveled through time, picking up layers of meaning, but its roots remain deep and complicated.
Three ex-Lions were not impressed with Warren Gatland as head coach
Finn Russell has become the latest Lions tourist to openly criticize head coach Warren Gatland following the 2-1 series defeat against South Africa.
#1. Sean O'Brien (2017)
The Irishman started all three Tests of the 1-1 drawn series with New Zealand.
"If we had a little more structure during the weeks, and more of an attack gameplan, driven way earlier in the tour, I think we could have won 3-0," O'Brien said.
"With the players we had, we should have won the series."
He later reinforced this point of view during an interview with Lions teammate James Haskell
“When you look at the players we had – there was so much world-class talent in the squad, enough to have won all the Tests.
“I know all about the history, how the Lions have only won seven Tests or something like that in New Zealand over the years.
"But look at what has happened to New Zealand since 2017. They’re still a brilliant team. But we (Ireland) beat them in 2018; South Africa beat them down there in 2018, Argentina had their win last year, England destroyed them in the (2019) World Cup.
“Think about it. The Lions not only had the best of England but also Ireland, Scotland and Wales. That’s where I was coming from; we had the players to do it. I didn’t intend to insult or undermine anyone by saying that.
“I certainly don’t want to do that this time because Warren’s a good coach, the right man to lead this tour. But do I still think we could have won 3-0? Yeah, I do.”
Sean O'Brien facts:
- Internationally, he played for Ireland for ten years, and toured twice with the British & Irish Lions in 2013 and 2017
- O'Brien played across the back-row, though he primarily plays as an openside flanker
- He bought Bellamy's Pub in Ballsbridge with Leinster teammates Rob Kearney, Dave Kearney and Jamie Heaslip. After an extensive refurbishment, it was reopened as "The Bridge 1859"
#2. Finn Russell (2021)
Speaking on the Scottish Rugby podcast, he has been reflecting on the campaign.
“I thought that all three Tests we should have played more rugby and gone at them a little bit more,” he said.
“The first two Tests we played off nine for two phases and I kind of felt that played into their defence.
“We weren’t doing much out of the back of it. We were keeping the attack narrow instead of having a wide attack.
“The first ten minutes of the third Test, there was still quite a bit of kicking and a lot of play off nine.
“There wasn’t much rugby that actually got played.
“I was sitting on the bench thinking we are doing the same as in the last two games even though we’ve spoken about being a little bit more expansive.
“With coming on early enough, I was able to try and play that style of rugby.”
Finn Russell facts:
- His father played a lot of racket sports, and worked in sports administration, including as Director of Domestic Rugby for the Scottish Rugby Union
- After secondary school, he pursued an apprenticeship for three years as a stonemason, in a business owned by a family friend, whilst his rugby developed
- Russell has been nicknamed 'Russell the Muscle' due to having a somewhat slender build for a modern-day rugby player
- Fly-half Russell was capped with the Barbarians against England during the mid-year rugby tests
- In 2013 Russell received the John Macphail Scholarship, linked with New Zealand's Lincoln University
#3. Brian O'Driscoll (2013)
While not playing in the final test was already a bitter pill to swallow, O’Driscoll revealed on The Rugby Centurions podcast on The XV that not being allowed to take part in training was particularly difficult.
“I came down on the Friday and on our whiteboard it said, ‘Non-23 are not needed at training’. I thought, ‘They don’t even want us to hold shields’. I found that very difficult.
“You just want to have the connectivity to it, and that’s the issue with Lions tours – there is a breakaway group in that final week that just want to be home.
“I wasn’t ready to be part of that, I just wanted to be part of the group that could create history and even have a small impact in getting them prepared.
“I said to Gatland a few years afterwards that I thought that was a mistake, they should have given an option to players that wanted to go training to go and be part of the collective, because in so many teams it’s those that don’t get chosen that prep the team for battle.
“I said that as captain for years and then all of a sudden I had to live it. And I couldn’t be poacher turned gamekeeper because it didn’t suit Gatland.
“I remember that being a long 48 hours before the game and just not being involved in the environment properly,”
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