It may not intimidate like the haka but the Welsh rugby team believe the power of song has united the players at the Rugby World Cup.
The Welsh are renowned for their singing but it was national coach, New Zealander Warren Gatland, that decided to use it as a bonding tool in the Shaky Isles.
“I think the idea came from Warren Gatland, who wanted us to conform to custom in his home country and have an answer to the traditional Maori welcome, which has been such a feature of the World Cup,” Welsh backrower Andy Powell wrote in London’s Daily Telegraph.
“We are trying to be proud of our national culture.
“Before we left for New Zealand, we were given two hymn sheets with the words to Ar Lan y Mor and Delilah, and when we first arrived in Auckland we gave our first public recital to the group of Maori dancers who were at the airport to greet us.
“We have also sung at a school in Wellington and the Waitomo Caves in King Country and I think our performances have been well-received!”
Powell said singing brought the team together and had helped relax the players before Saturday’s World Cup semi-final against France in Auckland.
“The sessions pull everyone together,” he wrote.
“It is great fun. It is like a karaoke night.
“We have a laugh and a joke and that is half the battle. If you are enjoying yourself, you tend to play better.”
Wales have never reached a World Cup final, with their best finish being third place in the inaugural tournament in New Zealand in 1987.
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