As the RC draws to a close....

call me sentimentalist, a sook whatever, for the one thing I'll miss and the one thing I look forward to next year as I do every year are the respective national Anthems.

It pisses me off if I miss the Anthems at the start of a game, to me it's always about the feel, the emotion, the looks on the player's faces and the gusto with which they are sung. I simply love it when the crowd stand and singalong and show their passion as well. In earlier years the Boks used to clench the Bok emblem and hang onto it as if their very lives depended on it, for some strange reason they don't do that anymore....I wish they would. Apart from Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika which I think is just the greatest there's a few others I totally enjoy and believe great. Top of my list is the Kiwi Anthem, followed by Advance Australia Fair and God Save The Queen, I can't take to the Puma, Irish and French one's but then again it simply comes down to taste.

 

 

So as the curtain draws on the RC and the anthems are sung for the last time I know that Rugby would not be the same without it. Until next year.....

 Top of the lot has to go to Flower of Scotland. I'm not too fond of God Save the Queen, and I don't like the Kiwi's recital of a row of vowels when they start off, followed by that irritating jive of theirs in the middle, which others are forced to respect. Nkosi is not too shabby either. I also love Land of our Fathers.

Until next year? Ummmm . . . Dense, I'm not sure if you know that every November for the last goodness knows how many years, the SH rugby teams tour the NH and they sing anthems before those games as well.

(Is there a "rolls eyes" emoticon?)

The November tours start in about 5 weeks time so don't get too tearful. Then there's only about another month before the 6N starts and yes, they'll sing anthems again!

 No not particularly, Cloudy, I just love their Anthem and their singing in particular. There was a Welsh Voice boys choir, called Only Boys Aloud, that entered Britain's got Talent last year. This was their audition:

 Don't get me stared on the end result. That is one thing that I cannot understand about the Pomms. They always have a bunch of clowns that keeps a crap act in the competition. The year that Susan Boyle was such a sensation, she did not actually win. They all voted for some stupid street dance act. In 2012 Only Boys Aloud ended third. A real great young tenor/soprano, Jonathan and Charlotte, duo came second and a stupid dancing dog act, Ashley and Pudsey, won the competition. These were the two acts that came second and first:

 
Yeah ... must agree ... the Scottish anthem does it for me. It builds an atmosphere like none other. Almost makes me want to start painting half my face blue.

I'm not a fan of the South African anthem at all. Never have been. Each to his own.

Rather go fetch me a bigger chunk of biltong or a cold brew than watch Habana, Jean and Meyer close their eyes whilst in song.

The Bok emblem has been moved all over the place ... including to the sleeve. It would be rather odd to see the boys holding their sleeves during the anthem.

Somehow placing one's hand over the Protea doesn't quite feel the same. Reckon I'd give that a miss too.

  Denny they don't gryp lil bokkie anymore cos he got replaced by a vokken shrub, now to avoid that embarrassment the Bokke have adopted the arms x shoulders stance. Poignant moment for me during a recent test, watching Jannie Dup touch the bokkie with his right hand during the anthem with a slightly awkward grip .