For many Springbok fans, there is always great interest around who will sing the SA anthem before the team’s Test fixtures, and this Sunday there is set to be an interesting arrangement in Edinburgh.
Murrayfield is one of the most iconic stadiums in world rugby, with the Scottish anthem well known for its emotive use of bag pipes, while a large part of the anthem is also sung solely by the crowd and players without any backing music or a singer.
It has also been confirmed to TheSouthAfrican.com that Scottish rugby “will not have anthem singers across their games”. This weekend the singing of the SA anthem will be accompanied by a brass band, and according to a spokesperson, “then it is over to the team and crowd”.
With this in mind, the good news for the Springboks is the fact that there is expected to be a fairly large presence of South African fans in the crowd, with many ‘expats’ expected to travel to Murrayfield.
BELOW YOU CAN SEE ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE SA ANTHEMS PRIOR TO THE SPRINGBOK GAME AT LOFTUS:
With the clash between the Springboks and Scotland playing out on Sunday, the players will have Monday to recover from last week’s training camp before beginning their on-field preparations for the encounter on Tuesday.
“We’re definitely where we want to be going to into the tour after having a chance to get on the same page and focus on the match against Scotland next week,” said prop Wilco Louw.
“The last week was tough, but good, and we’re in a good space. Everyone knows what our objectives are, which is important because it’s going to be a tough game against Scotland.
“They kept the team busy in the Rugby World Cup pool match last year, so we know it’s going to be challenging, but we’re looking forward to it.”
Louw – who was named on the Boks’ standby list for the Incoming Series earlier this year – played the last of his 14 Tests in 2021 and said he was thrilled to be back in the national squad.
“It’s amazing – most of these players have won two World Cups, so it’s an absolute privilege being back here,” he said.
“With all the experience in the group, it’s good to be on the field with all these legends. Hopefully we’ll have another good week of preparation in Scotland in the lead-up to the Test match.”
WHAT ARE YOUR PREDICTIONS FOR THIS WEEKEND?
Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
You can also follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest news and views.
