What does "Swing low sweet chariot" have to do with English rugby?

Question

I noticed a lot during recent matches that English supporters often broke into choruses of that song. Surely a song sung by BLACK AMERICAN SLAVES doesn't really have much to do with a WHITE ENGLISH UPPERCLASS sport? I'll be at the AB's game at Twickenham next weekend, we shall see if it still happens...

Answer 1

I don't see any connection.

Answer 2

I hate that song too.

Answer 3

nothing

Answer 4

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a United States spiritual folk song. The song today also has a large association with English rugby union and is also regularly sung at England national rugby union team matches.

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot was composed by Wallis Willis, a one-time slave for the Choctaw Indians in the old Indian Territory. He was inspired by the Red River which reminded him of the Jordan River and of the Prophet Elijah being taken to heaven by a chariot. Some latter day sources[1] imply that this song and Steal Away Jesus—also composed by Willis—had some hidden lyrics referring to the Underground Railroad. That is unlikely, however, since neither song was heard outside the Choctaw Nation until after the Civil War. That is when Alexander Reid, a minister at a Choctaw boarding school heard Willis singing the songs and transcribed the words and melodies. He sent the music to the Jubilee Singers of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. The Jubilee Singers then popularized the songs during a tour of the United States and Europe.

Coming into the last match of the 1988 season, against Ireland at Twickenham, England had lost 15 of their previous 23 matches in the Five Nations Championship. The Twickenham crowd had only seen one solitary England try in the previous two years and at half time against Ireland they were 0-3 down. During the second half the floodgates opened and England scored a remarkable six tries in a thumping 35-3 win. Three of the tries came in quick succession from Chris Oti, a black player making his Twickenham debut. A group from the Benedictine school Douai started to sing a rugby club favourite – the gospel hymn Swing Low, Sweet Chariot – in honour of their new hero, the whole crowd joined in. In 2003 the England national rugby union team returned from the 2003 World Cup triumph in Australia on a plane dubbed 'Sweet Chariot'.

Lyrics are as follows:

Chorus (in bold):

Swing low, sweet chariot

Coming for to carry me home

Swing low, sweet chariot

Coming for to carry me home

I looked over Jordan and what did I see

Coming for to carry me home

A band of angels coming after me

Coming for to carry me home

(Chorus)

If you get there before I do

Coming for to carry me home

Tell all my friends I'm coming too

Coming for to carry me home

(Chorus)

Sometimes I'm up and sometimes I'm down

Coming for to carry me home

But still my soul feels heavenly bound

Coming for to carry me home

(Chorus2)

Answer 5

Yeah I was also wondering that. I think it is because the poms have nothing good for their rugby songs, ie. Aussies have 'Land Down Under and Waltzing Matilda' the All Black's have their Haka etc. etc.

Peace

-Go Wallabies!

Answer 6

Nothing...a group of drunk poms started singing it at a game so like little sheep everyone else followed

Answer 7

yes exactly. and that is supposed to be a church song from what i recall, not a rugby praising song. someone need to tell the poms that.