A well-intentioned box-ticking exercise
and Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
Olivia Fox’s rendition of Advance Australia Fair on Saturday night was a moment that I’ll never forget, and one that made me proud to say “I’m a Wallaby”.
Despite the disappointing result of the rain-affected game, the night will be long remembered for that moment and serve as a reminder of the uniting force that sport can be.
And while Saturday night’s anthem gave me goosebumps, there was another national anthem that I use to look forward to the most.
Rugby is a game played all over the world, and one of the most interesting places to tour was South Africa.
A harsh place where murder and crime is an everyday reality.
But despite that, you didn’t have to go far to feel the respect the nation still holds for its former President Nelson Mandela. The historic figure who did his best to unite the divided nation.
In years following South Africa’s iconic 1995 Rugby World Cup win, Mandela said:
“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does”
And I believe the same is true for the anthems that are sung before big matches.
South Africa adopted its current national anthem in 1997, and is a song combining the 19th-century hymn ‘Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika’ with the previous National anthem, Afrikaans song ‘Die Stem van Suid-Afrika’.
But once the Apartied ended, both songs would be sung before a match.
However, the practice of having two national anthems proved to be a cumbersome arrangement as performing both of them took as much as five minutes.
So the two were combined and sung using the 5 languages of Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans and English, and to have the honour of being on the field to hear the home crowd belt it out is one of my most cherished Rugby memories.
And while much gets made of the Haka and its cultural significance, I also really enjoyed hearing the Kiwi national anthem as you could feel the pride radiate throughout the stadium as the crowd sang at a level that I never quite felt while singing our anthem.
Why?
Maybe it has something to do with the pride those countries have in the Springboks and All Blacks.
But I’m not sure.
Like the situation South Africa was in with singing two anthems before a game, Australia is now in the same predicament.
And to be honest, the “Welcome to country” is quickly becoming a well-intentioned box-ticking exercise.
A formality rather than a unifying statement of pride in the national identity, having been designed to keep everyone happy without having to compromise on an anthem that best represents us all.
And while coming up with an anthem that everyone can be proud of would be a great step forward, it still won’t fix issues that continue to deny First Nations' peoples equal access and opportunities in society and sport.
But as someone who has a British passport and convicts blood in him, I thought Saturday night’s anthem was a positive step in the right direction and that the time the team spent learning the words was a greater show of respect than if they had “taken a knee”.
South Africa’s push for more coloured players wasn’t a smooth ride, but I think most South Africans would say the bumps in the road were worth it when Siya Kolisi hoisted the William Webb Ellis Cup last year.
Kolisi not only became the 61st Springbok captain but the first black captain to win the Rugby World Cup and will no doubt inspire the next generation players, regardless of race.
And in the future, I think we’ll hear more triumphant stories like his and winger Makozalo Mapimpi’s, which give hope to kids growing up in the toughest parts of Africa.
There’s so much we can learn by looking to South Africa, and I hope that one day we have an Indigenous captain lead the Wallabies to a World Cup title, and unite us in a way I’ve not felt since Cathy Freeman won gold at the Sydney Olympics.
And in the process restore pride to the game they play in heaven and heal some wounds of an increasingly divided nation.
Garraburra ngayiri yabun
Yirribana Australiagal
Kia ora, Ben
A great read. You mention the New Zealand national anthem and haka here and talk about the pride associated. Like you suspect it's about more than the All Blacks in terms of the pride felt. I don't know if you've experienced a powhiri in New Zealand but it's become a normal part of society and one where the tikanga (protocols) are valued and respected. This along with the anthem are the two most significant captures of what it means to be a kiwi to me. It hasn't al l been smooth sailing though. At the 99 World Cup our anthem was sung solely in te Reo sparking an outcry of anger. Had that not happened though I doubt we'd have got to where we are today where hearing the anthem only in English loses all its value.
Great with the Aussie anthem and a stepnin the right direction. With attitudes line this and people valuing it like you have done here the journey will gain momentum. Kia kaha.