England supporters will face serious scrutiny regarding their conduct during Fiji’s traditional war dance on Saturday when the teams meet for their autumn international fixture. The previous encounter between these nations saw England fans heavily criticised for “disrespectful” conduct whilst their opponents performed their ceremonial dance.
During the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-finals, England managed to fend off a spirited Fiji fightback to claim a 30-24 win. However, attention was focused on the England supporters during Fiji’s war dance as they sought to overpower the pre-match tradition with their own anthem ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’. This war dance mirrors similar pre-match rituals performed by Samoa or New Zealand, with the All Blacks’ famous Haka being the most widely recognised.
Most supporters choose to remain silent as a mark of respect but England fans attempted to gain psychological advantage over the Fiji squad through their own traditional chant. This approach proved controversial as numerous social media users condemned the disruption created by the England faithful.
One fan wrote: “How classless of the England fans to sing over the Fiji Cibi,” whilst another said: “Disrespectful display from England fans during the Fiji Cibi.”
Another frustrated observer added: “No respect from the English fans during Fiji cibi. Remember when the English got so worked up when Scotland booed English anthem? Ok it was football but f*** me you lot love double standards.”
All eyes will be on the home crowd to see if history repeats itself during Fiji’s pre-match war dance, or if Twickenham’s spectators will maintain a respectful silence.
After England’s impressive 25-7 triumph over Australia last weekend, manager Steve Borthwick commended his squad’s resilience in challenging situations. He said: “There was a period where the game was tight in very difficult conditions against an Australian side that are tough and really well drilled.
“But as I watched our team, I thought they were really composed, really composed and knew what to do next. The players were really clear on what they were attempting to do.”
The England head coach has a clear vision of what his team needs to enhance before the Fiji match. He added: “Finishing games off, there’s a number of factors that come to finishing those games off.
“Sometimes you go through some painful experiences. But this is a squad that is eager to learn. So we’ll address those issues we can learn from. And there’ll be plenty when we review it, we could do better. So the aim is to be a better team next Saturday.”
