Saru angered at anthem
16 Nov 2009
Oregan Hoskins has been in contact with the FFR regarding Friday night’s singing of the national anthem.
France manager Jo Maso told the media the South African embassy organised that reggae singer Ras Dumisani would sing the South African anthem in Toulouse, but Saru president Hoskins has written to the FFR expressing his unhappiness.
‘As a union we were shocked and horrified by the rendition of the anthem and I contacted the French Federation on Saturday morning to express our very grave concerns,’ Hoskins said in a statement. ‘The performance of the anthem is a treasured part of any rugby international and we take great pains in this country in the selection and rehearsal of artists to ensure that we appropriately honour all anthems.
‘Something went seriously awry in Toulouse and the upshot was that offence has been caused not just to the Springboks and Saru but to South Africans in general.
‘I congratulate France on their victory in the Test match, but look forward to their response on this important issue.’
Shoyab Casoo of the South African embassy in France denied Maso’s claims and told Die Rapport that the embassy had given a list of singers to the FFR as requested, but had not chosen a particular one.
‘We just gave them the names of people we’re aware of,’ said Casoo. ‘We didn’t know how well these people could sing.’

146 Comments
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16 Nov 2009, 09:18 am
Blame your own embassy. They advised the FFR.
16 Nov 2009, 09:18 am
No comment
16 Nov 2009, 09:19 am
Tickle me timbers! The kak is about to hit the fan.
16 Nov 2009, 09:19 am
I hate the French, they are a rugby nation that has to use all their dirty tricks to win a match. An they must be the most opinionated and arrogant nation in world rugby excluding the English). We played ****, but so did the ref and the French public and FFR.
16 Nov 2009, 09:20 am
#1 TheTackler: “Your Embassy” I take it you are not a South African.
16 Nov 2009, 09:20 am
He definately had a joint and took a drag on fridaynight before he sang.
16 Nov 2009, 09:21 am
#1 TheTackler:
Oh shut up.
16 Nov 2009, 09:23 am
#5 Blindspot: No, he is in perpetual transit. Like a Darfur refugee, he is stuck between countries that he has either forsaken, or don’t want him.
16 Nov 2009, 09:24 am
Eish!
Gaan kyk die ding op youtube…..
Eish….
16 Nov 2009, 09:24 am
#1 TheTackler: A4Y’s
16 Nov 2009, 09:25 am
#1 TheTackler:
You really are a miserable old sod.
16 Nov 2009, 09:28 am
#9 Staal: Dis fkken erg. En die twee gestremde drommers langs hom moet teruggaan na klei potjies en gras matjies maak.
16 Nov 2009, 09:39 am
FFR has to take some responsibility alongside the embassy. The embassy provided a LIST of artists…what prompted the FFR to select this fool, and then prior to the game surely rehearsal must have been conducted to ensure the performer was up to scratch. and what was the point in having bongo players whose drums couldnt even be heard. No, we can blame the embassy but the FFR, as hosts to the boks, should have done their own homework to make sure the performer was suitable
16 Nov 2009, 09:42 am
For example, if the Boks had never been to Toulouse and somebody in south africa recommended they stay in a particular hotel in (which unbeknown to them is a rundown roach infested shack of a backpackers), wouldnt the hosts take responsibility to rescue the situation and ensure their hosts are diverted to 5 star accomodation. A normal host wouldnt just stand by and say “well, your embassy recommended the backpackers so we’ll take you there”
16 Nov 2009, 09:51 am
#1 TheTackler:
Tackler you Pilchard. He was actually called in by the French Rugby brass who were putting the gloss on the match – Not the “SA Embassy” – Once again your dismal grasp on the facts is clouding your already jaundiced view to life in general.
16 Nov 2009, 09:52 am
#11 Dawn: Why? He speaks the truth.
16 Nov 2009, 09:53 am
#15 Gorilla:
Actually I also read it was the embassy
16 Nov 2009, 09:53 am
Have Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu released a joint statement yet, in which they lament the racist treatment dished out to Ras Dumisani? Because I think it’s CRIMINAL that a black man – a peaceful black man with genuine dreads and believable empathy for his suffering brethren – can be ridiculed by a colonialist media machine with clear, rightwing motives. I call on Julius to call on the ANCYL to call on the youth to call on South Africa to boycott all non-reggae music for a week so that we can bring the racist DA, SABC and Internet to its knees. And we must give Ras Dumisani R60 000 (we can use the R60 000 we were going to give Caster Semenya, because after her You photo shoot and Guardian interview she must have money).
16 Nov 2009, 09:55 am
Anyhow, I cant wait for the return game in South Africa. I think the French can expect a rather warm reception.
16 Nov 2009, 09:58 am
#19 Sonito: Yep. We’re going to let Patricia Lewis sing their anthem.
Perhaps as a duet along with Thys die Bosveldklong.
16 Nov 2009, 09:59 am
Of course the French must take their share of the blame, but is it really that important at the end of the day? What happens immediately after the amateur Pavarottis have belted out their anthem is what international rugby is all about. This is just a smokescreen to deflect the media from the real issues.
16 Nov 2009, 10:00 am
#11 Dawn:
That he is! It must be horrible to live your life as a bitter old man. All his comments are actuallt quite embarrassing and childish. Can you imagine living your life where the greatest joy in your life is waiting for the sprinboks to loose and then ragging boks fans. I sort of feel sorry for him. Tackler, my advice to you is too find a Girl Friend.
16 Nov 2009, 10:00 am
ok, someone send me a Youtube link
16 Nov 2009, 10:01 am
#17 chch – welcome back Laulala: Did you read the article above? The embassy said they were asked for a list of artists that they know of. As Oregan says, it is the job of the French Union to determine if the singer would do justice to a visiting nation.
This was outright an insult on South Africa.
16 Nov 2009, 10:03 am
#22 chch – welcome back Laulala: Don’t you know how to use the search function?
16 Nov 2009, 10:04 am
To be fair, the aussies have been butchering our Anthem for years.
16 Nov 2009, 10:04 am
#23 Bouts: ok
#24 Bouts:
You must be new here, I thought that someone else could do it for a change.
16 Nov 2009, 10:05 am
#19 katman:
Yeah maybe with some grade 1 on triangles as a backup band.
16 Nov 2009, 10:06 am
Our anthem is bollocks to start with, the versus are so meaningless that lines can be sung in any order. Everyone only knows the first 3 or 4 versus too
16 Nov 2009, 10:07 am
#22 chch – welcome back Laulala: apend the following to the youtube homepage: watch?v=beg0-kMN3fM
Hilarious! By the time he reaches Die Stem it really does fall apart!
16 Nov 2009, 10:08 am
#28 chch – welcome back Laulala:
Actually before half of it became Maori our anthem was complete shite
16 Nov 2009, 10:11 am
The embassy gets asked to recommend and their response is … “we just gave a list of names, we didn’t know well they could sing”
And these are our representatives around the world. Thank goodness a replacement team doctor or physio wasn’t required last minute. “Bok ends up paralysed, embassy says they never bothered to check his credentials”
16 Nov 2009, 10:13 am
once again all the anti-South Africa brigade (residents or foreigners) jump on the bandwagon cause here’s ANOTHER lekker excuse to dis OUR country…
anyone who thinks this is not a big deal just answer me this…
how badly would you be blasting SARU if we put up such an incompetent to sing God Save the Queen during the Lions tour…?? Or The NZ and Aus anthems during the 3N…??
You would have been calling for heads to roll because South Africa had embarrassed out guests and ourselves on the world stage… We’d never have heard the end of it…!!
So why was it okay for the Frogs to dish this **** up to us…?
“The SA Embassy provided a list…” is no excuse…
Who ever puts on a singing performance without a sound-check or dress rehearsal…???
Well done Oregan for taking this up…
It was a disgrace and I found it deeply offensive…
16 Nov 2009, 10:14 am
#29 jonnymain:
wow, that seemed intentional, you just can’t sing that badly trying not to
16 Nov 2009, 10:16 am
#1 TheTackler: is times like these when you really need to shut up man
16 Nov 2009, 10:16 am
#32 ufo:
Actually, I would not be too worried.
But I do see the point about your anthem
16 Nov 2009, 10:17 am
#32 ufo:
and I don’t think that many would be calling for heads to roll
16 Nov 2009, 10:18 am
#32 ufo: Who would you recommend they ask for a candidate, if not the South African embassy?
Why hasn’t our embassy provided the list? They probably checked the credentials on the list and he came out tops.
It seems the French have stuck to their story, yet the singer and the embassy have changed their tunes.
16 Nov 2009, 10:20 am
#32 ufo: imagine if this had happened to god save the queen . half of SARU would probably be fired by now
16 Nov 2009, 10:22 am
#35 chch – welcome back Laulala:
C’mon Chch… you guys get upset if people ‘disrespect’ the Haka…!! Generalising I know… maybe you weren’tbut a helluva lot of Kiwis were…
BTW… I don’t count you as a saffa hater… I’m talking about fools like Tackler and his ilk…
16 Nov 2009, 10:23 am
This is another Caster Semenya … there will be a whole lot of mud slinging. And then it will emerge that a highly paid representative or department representing South Africa was incompetent.
16 Nov 2009, 10:23 am
#1 TheTackler: Your embassy too..
16 Nov 2009, 10:26 am
#36 chch – welcome back Laulala:
of course they would… these bigots and “When We’s” look for any excuse to dis South Africa and SA Rugby… and go on about “When We” were in charge in the good old days…
#37 kevin w:
get real… the FFR asks for a list… our Embassy provides one… Do you expect our diplomats should hold sound checks and dress-rehearsals on behalf of the FFR… Don’t be stupid…
The FFR got the list.. THEY should have made the effort to listen to the candidates and pick the most appropriate one…
16 Nov 2009, 10:28 am
#38 mbaxman93:
exactly… even if they weren’t people would be screaming for them to be…
16 Nov 2009, 10:28 am
#32 ufo: God Save the Queen is only sung when playing England, but I get your point. Most people, me included, will admit that it was disrespectful but not worthy of the coverage it continues to get. Watch it again and try not to laugh this time. Habs looked like he was about to burst out laughing on the spot!
16 Nov 2009, 10:28 am
#39 ufo:
The Haka is a different story but our national anthem is not sung with the passion of yours
16 Nov 2009, 10:30 am
If our Anthem was new and I read those words I would laugh. Not as lame as the glorifying war US **** thing but still lame
16 Nov 2009, 10:32 am
#42 ufo: how many south african artists do you reckon are performing in France? I’d love to see the list.
how many people at the FFR speak English, Afrikaans, Xhosa etc. as first languages?
I’d be careful who you call a stupid bigot, young Julius!
16 Nov 2009, 10:32 am
#41 ufo:
Just ignore idiots like Tackler. Most of the time its just idiots who have immigrated and are trying find any reason to justify their decision.
16 Nov 2009, 10:32 am
Surely the SA embassy was asked to compose a list of “suitable artists”? If that is the case, the French would assume that only those with musical credentials were chosen, not any old busker from the street corner. It wasn’t really their place to second-guess the musical tastes of the SA ambassador.
The blame lies more with the embassy, since, in spite of being the “King of Reggae” in SA, Dumisani clearly wasn’t a suitable candidate to sing the anthem and should never had been added to the list.
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