SPORT IS SERIOUS - BUT ARE SOME THINGS TAKEN TOO SERIOUSLY?

Ard Matthews

Rugby World Cup is over a fortnight away. 
More squads have recently been announced 
( South Africa Squad ) & ( Samoa Squad ) 
but there has been outcry and outrage, plus jokes from corporate food sector  - see the link to the Times in South Africa here Ard, the National Anthem & the chicken (sitting alongside a headline about Archbishop Desmond Tutu and reparations tax!) and decide whether some perspective need be applied to the opprobrium being poured upon an unfortunate episode when singer Ard Matthews forgot the third line of the National Anthem live on tv at the unveiling of the World Champions squad for RWC 2011!


He forgot the anthem's third line, "Yizwa imithandazo yethu (hear our prayers) and had to start again amid his own nervous giggling. He has had to issue an apology: actually four apologies. One to the tv station, one to the team, one to the rugby union in South Africa, and finally to 'the haters' (no really!). All a bit too much really. Anthems are important, but this all seems a bit extreme, and some perspective seems necessary rather than invective.


Is it really that bad?
You decide: here's the unfortunate but not deliberately disrespectful performance. Watch out for the looks on the players faces as they sit under their ill-fitting green & gold caps.

And here is Ard Matthews' apology in the aftermath.
Ard Matthews apology in full 
Can't wait for the actual sport to start. Bet Ard feels the same way.