Sing when you're winning

2008-08-19 09:20

Chris Moerdyk

In a desperate bid to try and forget about the pathetic performance by the Springboks against the All Blacks on Saturday, I'd like to look at the way in which our rugby administrators have completely stuffed up one of the most emotional parts of the game.

The anthems.

Now, I get a real lump-in-the-throat-goosebumps-on-the-arms kick out of the national anthems before a test match. Watching the faces of the players and listening to thousands of fans in the stadium singing their hearts out.

It doesn't matter to me that some of the players sing out of tune or that hundreds of fans are a few bars behind.

These few moments are packed with national pride and raw emotion.

Harmony

In fact, one of my great ambitions is to be in the crowd at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in Wales, to experience for myself the sound of 80 000 Welshmen all signing their anthem in perfect harmony. I am told by friends who have been there that its enough to bring tears to the eyes of the most masculine of men.

But now, our rugby administrators here in South Africa have decided that those of us who decided not to buy a ticket but rather sit at home to watch the game should not have to be exposed to anything off-key.

So, they have sanitised the whole national anthem part of the game. They have ripped out the emotion, flattened out the goosebump effect, marginalised the crowd and generally turned what was something that got our adrenalin going into a rather pathetic piece of stage-managed show business.

Now, I have no problem with the singing ability of South Africa's three Bala Brothers who sang the New Zealand National Anthem nor "The Broers" who sang our anthem last Saturday.

They are all very accomplished singers.

But, I really don't want to tune into a test match to listen to a perfect-pitch Konsert because, frankly, it leaves me stone cold and frustrated.

What we want

I am quite sure that there are millions of sports fans throughout South Africa who will agree with me. Whether it is rugby, soccer or any other international sports event that requires the singing of the national anthems - we all want the emotion back.

What I see happening is most likely the implementation of an idea by one or other of our rugby administrators whose wife was probably offended by the fact that Victor Matfield or Ricky Januarie or some other Springbok was singing off key.

It's like virtually every thing else our rugby administrators do when it comes to promoting the game of rugby. They forget about the first rule of marketing - "it is not what you want to say but what the customers wants to hear."

And I reckon what the customer wants to hear is the whole damn stadium signing our anthem and not just three professional performers in suits trying desperately to look like they are on the stage at Carnegie Hall and not in the middle of a rugby field.

Rugby has just become too theatrical - wasn't Saturday a comedy of note - with the spectators being cut out of things completely.

The way things are going I wouldn't be surprised if we had Britney Spears singing our Anthem at the next world Cup.

I miss the old rugby. And I think I am even beginning to miss the streakers - especially those who ran onto the field and tackled the ref.

Man, we could have used that guy on Saturday.

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