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Sir Tom Jones’ rugby anthem Delilah has been banned from worldwide Welsh matches.
Choirs have been informed they will not sing Jones’ hit at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium due to a controversial lyric.
The track’s lyrics embrace reference to a girl being murdered by her jealous companion.
“I crossed the road to her home and he or she opened the door; she stood there laughing, I felt the knife in my hand and he or she laughed no extra,” one line reads.
The Welsh Rugby Union – the sport’s governing physique, which faces sexism and discrimination allegations – eliminated the track from its playlist for half-time leisure and music playlist throughout Check matches in 2015. However this week it went additional.
“Delilah won’t characteristic on the playlist for choirs for rugby internationals at Principality Stadium,” a stadium spokesperson mentioned on Wednesday.
“Visitor choirs have additionally extra just lately been requested to not characteristic the track throughout their pre-match performances and all through video games.
“The WRU condemns home violence of any type.
“Now we have beforehand sought recommendation from subject material specialists on the difficulty of censoring the track, and we’re respectfully conscious that it’s problematic and upsetting to some supporters due to its subject material.”
The announcement got here because the Welsh Rugby Union confronted allegations of misogyny, sexism, racism and homophobia inside its ranks. Claims of a “poisonous tradition” on the WRU aired in a tv documentary final week, sparking the resignation of chief government Steve Phillips on Sunday.
The ban was questioned by Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit.
“All of the issues they should do and so they do this first,” he tweeted.
“Banning Sir Tom Jones.” Delilah from being sung within the nationwide stadium!! Inform me, how is that going to work out for you? How are you going to implement that?” wrote one other Twitter person.
Wales kicks off its Six Nations marketing campaign towards Eire in Cardiff on Saturday. It stays to be seen whether or not the group will sing Delilah – a long-standing rugby anthem – of its personal accord.
Lately, England supporters at Twickenham have continued to belt out Swing Low, Candy Chariot regardless of the Rugby Soccer Union asking spectators to think about the track’s origins as a story of American slavery.
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