Why did “swing low sweet chariot” become a rugby song?
Usage in rugby union 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. However during the second half England scored six tries to give them a 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, large sections of the crowd joined in. The song is still regularly sung at matches by supporters.[1][2][3] There is also a series of gestures that accompany the song, one of which is sexual. The England national rugby union team returned from the 2003 World Cup triumph in Australia on a plane dubbed ‘Sweet Chariot’ [2]. [edit] Recordings
