Rugby Union bans Tom Jones hit ‘Delilah’ from stadium
Tom Jones has been on stage since 1963 – Welsh rugby fans will have to do without his hit “Delilah” in the future
Those: pa/Li Lewei/HPIC/dpa
The song is the unofficial rugby anthem in Wales. For decades, “Delilah” by Tom Jones has been sung in stadiums before national team games. That’s enough of that. The Rugby Union banned the song because the lyrics could upset fans.
Mith a ban on Tom Jones’ 1960s pop hit ‘Delilah’, the Welsh Rugby Union has sparked a debate in the UK. As British media reported on Wednesday, choirs are no longer allowed to sing the unofficial Welsh rugby anthem at the upcoming Six Nations tournament. The reason for the ban is the text in which a man attacks his unfaithful partner Delilah with a knife. That could upset some spectators, said a spokesman for Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
Usually “Delilah” is heard before the game starts. In 2015, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) banned the song from being played over the sound system in the stadium where Wales plays their international matches. The popular song continued to be sung by spectators and choirs in the stadium. Now the WRU has also banned visiting music choirs from singing the popular classic by Tom Jones. “Domestic violence of any kind is condemned,” it said.
On Twitter, many fans expressed their anger and surprise at the decision. Welsh rugby pro Louis Rees-Zammit also showed no understanding of the ban. “All the things that they have to take care of and then they do that…” he tweeted.
The background to the association’s decision could also be that the WRU recently made negative headlines because of an alleged “toxic culture”. President Steve Phillips even resigned as a result. The association has announced an independent investigation.
Tom Jones defends his hit
Pop star Tom Jones (82) sang his hit, with which he took second place in the British hit parade in 1968, at a concert in the Principality Stadium last summer. In the past he had defended the song. “It’s not political, it’s about a man losing control,” Jones said. “I didn’t think while singing that I’m the man who kills the girl. I played a role.” You shouldn’t take the song literally.
