Maro Itoje has declared his choice to refrain from participating in the rendition of the England rugby anthem “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.”
Nevertheless, he affirms that he does not endorse the notion of forbidding fans from singing it at Twickenham.
The RFU conducted an assessment of the song, which has its roots in an American slave spiritual. The examination acknowledged that many supporters were oblivious to its historical beginnings.
In a statement, the RFU said: “The RFU has stated it will not ban Swing Low, Sweet Chariot as it has a long-held place in rugby history however, the Union will use its social media and event audiences to proactively educate fans on the history and provenance of the song as well as providing platforms for diverse voices across the game.”
Ex-England hooker Brian Moore said he “hated it” and former England Women flanker Maggie Alphonsi said it no longer “sits easy” with her.
“I’m not going to tell people what they should or shouldn’t do but, personally, I won’t sing this song anymore,” Itoje said when speaking with French newspaper L’Equipe..
“I sang it before when I was naive and didn’t know its origins but, knowing now the context in the creation of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, it’s not an anthem that I’m going to repeat anymore.”
It is believed the song was first sung at Twickenham when Martin “Chariots” Offiah featured at the 1987 Middlesex Sevens tournament. In 1988 it became popular among England supporters when Chris Oti scored a hat-trick against Ireland.
The song’s origins are rooted in US slavery, however, and it is believed to have been written by the American slave Wallace Willis around the 1860s.
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”