No Waltzing at World Cup

It was 100 years ago this week that Banjo Paterson's Waltzing Matilda was first published in Sydney, writes Padraig Collins in Sydney.

But the classic song will not even be heard at the World Cup in Australia if the Dublin-based International Rugby Board (IRB) has its way. IRB rules allow only national anthems to be sung before World Cup games. Exceptions are made for "culturally significant"' performances such as the All Black Haka, South Africa's Zulu war dance and ceremonial dances by Tonga, Samoa and Fiji. But Waltzing Matilda is considered just a song.

Speaking to the (Sydney) Daily Telegraph, IRB spokesman Chris Rea said a formal request from the Australian Rugby Union to perform Waltzing Matilda was unlikely to be allowed.

"I don't think the same concession (the Haka has) should apply to this. It's a song the crowd likes to sing along to, but it's just not the same. If we let Australia sing their song, every country will want the opportunity to sing something," Rea said.

The IRB ruling has incensed Australians and almost certainly ensured a massive sing-along.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said last night: "Waltzing Matilda is deeply evocative of Australian culture and how can you justify trying to ban the singing of it and allow other presentations which are evocative of the culture of other countries? But in any event I pose the question, how are they going to stop it being sung? You try and stop 82,000 Australians singing Waltzing Matilda, you'll only make their night," he said.

Patterson's song is often called "the anthem whose words people do remember" (the official anthem, Advance Australia Fair, replaced God Save The Queen in 1984).