Has it been 120 years already?
120 Years Since What?
Did you know that Cymru has the unique distinction of being the first known country to have sung its national anthem before a sporting event?
This event occurred on 16 December 1905 when the Welsh national side faced New Zealand at Cardiff Arms Park. The match itself is often cited as one of the Welsh team’s best ever performances, with the match itself even dubbed as the “Match of the Century” – Wales won 3-0, a single try to nothing.
The moment would come following a haka performed by the All Blacks. It was pre-planned by the Welsh team that, in response to the haka, they would sing the national anthem, ‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’.
The song would very quickly spread throughout the stadium, with Welsh supporters (a vast majority in a stadium holding 47,000 fans that day) joining in with the team to create a moment which, at that point, had never been seen – one which might be credited with inspiring the customary national anthem prior to a sporting event.
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Niklas is the founder, owner, manager, editor, writer, video creator, voice over artist, and so forth, of Welsh Histories. He is passionate about the preservation of Welsh culture; the rejuvenation of the Welsh language and the promotion of Welsh history. Niklas currently resides in Pune, Maharashtra, with his beloved wife.