Vunipola said that he was unaware until yesterday of the historical context of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot David Rogers/Getty ImagesMako Vunipola has apologised to anyone offended by the adoption of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, a song rooted in American slavery, as England’s rugby anthem — but he wants supporters to carry on singing it. The Saracens prop said that he was unaware until yesterday of the historical context of the song, which was written in the mid-1800s, and that he had only ever associated it with support for the England rugby union team. The debate over its appropriation by England fans and the Rugby Football Union was reignited in America when Josephine Wright, a professor of music and black studies at the College of Wooster, Ohio, told the New York Times its use in rugby was “unfortunate”. She said that it betrayed a “total…

Source: The Times March 09, 2017 01:03 UTC