In Lille
Before facing the All Blacks on Friday evening, the Marseillaise sung at the Stade de France had caused ink to flow, notably because the children’s choir who had sung it in cannon, which had led to a cacophony with the songs of the supporters. Similar problems were noted in several stadiums. Following the Blues’ first match, it was decided that the performance of the anthems would be rearranged and re-orchestrated.
World Rugby then offered the teams two solutions: either use a version re-recorded by the children of their anthem, or a return to the classic version. Before the Blues’ second match in the World Cup, this Thursday in Lille against Uruguay, the France team chose the option of a reworked anthem. This was confirmed by the manager of the Blues, Raphaël Ibanez: “We know that World Rugby is working on this subject and we have already validated a recorded version while preserving the children’s voices. This is what is agreed, this is what we expect and hope.”