DEAR Editor,
I’m forwarding this with permission from my Australian daughter-in-law Marnie McLaren, who was in Japan for the rugby.
While it brought a lump to my throat, it made me feel very ashamed that I still haven’t got my tongue around all the words of our beautiful national anthem and suspect I’m not the only one.
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Her email reads: Walking to the stadium last night with my other half, the privilege of attending such an incredible tournament was almost overwhelming.
Resplendent in our Springbok gear, a little Japanese child about four-years old called out to us “Hey, I’ve learned all the words to your anthem”.
I told him that was awesome and we had a quick chat.
As we all walked towards the stadium together, he started to sing Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika and absolutely nailed it – each and every word of Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans and English.
His parents even took the long way to their gate so he could keep singing it to us. What a beautiful start to a truly epic night.
The Japanese have been such brilliant hosts and this little child learning an anthem so he could support the team that knocked Japan out of the tournament just sums it all up for me.
Take a bow Japan.
DEBBIE COOK
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