Share

Song botch stirs 'Anthemgate'

Toulouse - South Africa accused France of failing to respect them during the singing of their national anthem before Friday's international in Toulouse.

VIDEO: South African anthem botch

The world champion Springboks were upset 20-13 by the French but were left fuming at the way their anthem had been played before the kick-off.

The man who sang the anthem, which is a hybrid mixture of five different languages, made a mess of the lyrics as sections of the crowd began to laugh during the playing.

Before commenting about his team's performance, Springboks coach Peter de Villiers told a news conference he was unhappy at the way their national anthem was played.

"Before I answer the first question I must first convey that we were annoyed by the fact the French did not respect our anthem. They did not really get somebody who knows it," he said.

The South African vice-captain Victor Matfield said the botched handling of the anthem had upset and and disturbed his players.

"Singing the national anthem is almost like receiving the jersey. It's a special moment," he said.

"Every time you go out on the field and sing the national anthem it's something that fires you up because you know you are playing for your country. It was a big disappointment."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1814 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1774 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1082 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 459 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 186 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE