Friday, February 05, 2010

Couldn't care less about the Superbowl, but . . .



. . . there is another sporting event that I will be watching this weekend. BBC America is broadcasting the Six Nations Cup live this year! Woohoo! (That's rugby, in case you didn't know and in the past I've complained about how difficult it has been to find live rugby on TV over here.) Guess what I'll be doing at noon East coast time on Saturday?! The kids, DH and I have been invited to a party on Saturday afternoon, but depending on how the game is going, I may send DH off on his own with the kids to join them later. He will understand ;-)

The first time I ever visited the UK with DH, we left Heathrow sometime around 8:30 on a Saturday morning to head north to my parents' house. There was a rugby game on that afternoon that I would have liked to watch. Wales versus somebody - I don't remember who. Unfortunately, the length of the drive to my parents' house meant that we would arrive there in the middle of the game and I didn't have a key to my parents' house. My mother had warned me that if we arrived while the game was going on no one would answer the door. So, we killed some time en route with a leisurely pub lunch and DH didn't complain. I tried to find the game on the radio, figuring at least I could listen to it, but the only station I could find it on was in Welsh :-(

It's been years since I've seen a game, and I've long since given up following the reports of the games, but I am looking forward to seeing a game or two again after so long. At the very least, it's going to make it easier to know when NOT to call my parents as they don't answer the phone when the rugby's on. Or if they do, it's to hurriedly say, "Can you call back later?" We have ties to England, Scotland and Wales in my family, so I don't really care who wins, but the Welsh do have the best songs.


This is not the Welsh national anthem, but it might as well be. I remember my elementary school principal teaching it to us, telling us that we should know it! It was a church school, and the song is a hymn, but he did make it clear when he taught it to us that this was a rugby song! I don't remember which version of the lyrics he taught us - probably the more traditional one that begins "Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer" - but most people only know the chorus anyway!

Bread of heaven
Bread of heaven
Feed me 'til I want no more
Feed me 'til I want no more

Wales forever
Wales forever

Can you hear, the voices calling
Singing proud and singing clear
All around the sound is rising
One by one they join the cheer

gwlad fy nhadau {land of my fathers}
gwlad fy nhadau
cymru, cymru am byth {Wales, Wales forever}

Can you hear the valleys ring
Can you hear the dragon's roar
Heart and soul, with pride are singing
Land of Wales forever more

Wales forever
Wales forever
Hear us now and ever more
Hear us now and ever more

Oh can you hear the roar of voices
Join together, side by side
Well now's the hour, the hour of glory
Raise the roof, and sing with pride

Wales forever
Wales forever
Hear us now and ever more
Hear us now and ever more

gwlad fy nhadau
gwald fy nhadau
cymru, cymru am byth
cymru, cymru am byth

14 comments:

NFAH said...

Hmmmmm. I converted from American football fan to Rugby fan from watching it on tv far before I moved here, there was some international sports channel on cable that helped develop both my rugby obsession and my cricket obsession too. But I am a tri-nations fan, not a 6-nations fan particularly.

NFAH said...

I should say the channel was on American cable far before I moved to England. Sheesh, the things I assume people to understand in my subtext!

Almost American said...

NFAH - I understood what you meant! For years we've had the most basic of cable packages, but even for the last couple with a 'bigger' package I hadn't tracked down any live rugby.
I would guess the Beeb is going with the 6 Nations tournament because there are more games, and more countries involved, so they think it will be more appealing.

nappy valley girl said...

Hey - you should catch up with Calif Lorna, she wrote a post on a very similar theme....

http://califlorna.com/welsh-ruby-super-bowl-1393

I will not be watching either, although I may take a look at The Who at half time of Superbowl....

Calif Lorna said...

Great minds think alike! I love Bread of Heaven - in fact all the Welsh songs, they give me goosebumps!

Enjoy the match.

If I Could Escape . . . said...

Oh yeah!! We watched some of it this weekend!

I love Superbowl time for the entertaining -- ye know, the food, the parties, the booze! LOL

Now, what's all this about bigger packages? LOL

Unknown said...

Read this while at the same time watching England play Italy.
It is not just a game !!
A Scot married to a Welshman, living in England, so long as Italy and Ireland don't win I feel fine.
What about France I hear you say ?.... Well the little fellows in the tight trousers were my favourites for years, and the big blokes just seem to walk over their adversaries, so I usually hedge my bets and back France as outsiders.

AliBlahBlah said...

Yes Yes Yes to everything!! I was only just telling LK in the car this week how he hasn't lived until he's heard Land of my Fathers at Cardiff Arms Park.

I'm so behind the times when the BBC started showing this I was thinking, what, didn't it used to be 5 nations or am I going bonkers?

Almost American said...

And it's so long since I've watched regularly I've forgotten half the rules - I'll have to look them up, cos the kids keep asking! They sat with me and watched France beat Ireland last weekend.

Unknown said...

Well how the hell did I miss the coverage!! And I hear it was worth watching too!

I grew up on the Welsh anthem, with a welsh surname and grandparents and a dad and brother with Bowen as a middle name, little choice in it!

Richard said...

Half my family's Irish, the other half English, but when I was growing up my dad would always take me to watch London Welsh games.

It was totally wonderful, and I was chanting "Cymru am byth" with every one else even though I don't have an ounce of Welsh blood in me! :)

So when it comes to the Six Nations, I'm happy as long as one of England, Ireland or Wales win. But the Welsh definitely do have the best songs!

Anonymous said...

Lol, couldn't give a toss about either and have no tv subscriptions whatsoever! But I did laugh about your parents not opening the door to you if the rugby was on the telly!

geekymummy said...

Lovely, nothing like a welsh rugby choir! I used to follow the rugby and even played a little, but have got out of the habit. Nut I am now humming "swing low, sweet chariot" to the worry of my co-workers. Thanks for visiting my blog, looking forward to reading more of yours.

NAPPY VALLEY HOUSEWIFE said...

I caught the end of the Ireland vs England match on Saturday because two fathers turned up early to pick up their daughters from my house and the girls weren't back from the cinema yet. It was the best entertainment for two impatient fathers with little to say. I like it so much better than American football but maybe that's just because of Johnny. . .

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