Bring Me My Chariot of Fire...

I've a long-standing fascination with the relationship bw sports and colonialism. South African Rugby is perhaps the most multi-dimensional example. I wrote several papers (and almost a thesis) examining the interplay bw apartheid, Afrikaaner nationalism, and rugby.

A colleague was kind enough to invite me to the England-South Africa Rugby International at Twickenham on a rainy Saturday.

My favorite part of the experience preceded the opening kick. An opera singer performed "Jerusalem"- the William Blake poem. The text is below along with a youtube link of the same singer at Twickenham last year.

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountain green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKVJRmBVEsc

The South African national anthem was interesting. Nkosi Sikelele Afrika (a wrenchingly beautiful anti-apartheid song) and Die Stam (the old Afrikaaner anthem) are merged with some English and Zulu added on. A marked change in enthusiasm occurred amongst the (almost exclusively white) South African fans ~halfway through the anthem... My favorite image of the match was the South African captain (a practicing doctor!) with his head thrown back and tears rolling down his face ecstatically singing the entire song. 

and hearing 80,000 English overwhelm the singer during "God Save the Queen" moved me in a different way. I'd never felt a national anthem at a sporting event so deeply.

Post-national anthems I had switched allegiance and was rooting for England.

The game didn't do much for me. Open play is brilliant but everything important happened in the scrums (giant human inverted tug of war). 8 of the 9 scores came from penalty kicks (field goals) called in the scrums and indecipherable to even a knowledgeable spectator. They actually sell "ref links" so fans can hear what the ref is saying in order to follow the game.

It was telling that the only try (touchdown) was scored off a crazy (lucky) deflection. After the match a rugby coach in the pub commented "all the scores nowadays are the result of mistakes." the players are too big and too fast for that size field. Not a good situation for any sport longer-term.

Much more so than an Arsenal game- it felt a "proper English" experience.