Former Irish rugby captain Rory Best has revealed he never sang Ireland’s Call ahead of international games as it was so “emotive” it would have made him lose focus on the pitch.
The Co Armagh-born hooker and four-time Triple Crown winner, who retired in 2019 after earning 124 caps in 14 years for Ireland, said his decision not to join teammates in singing the song was one he made in the early days of his career.
Best, who also played for Ulster between 2005 and his retirement, spoke of his issues with singing the song ahead of matches in a podcast interview with fellow former Ireland and Ulster teammate Darren Cave.
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The pair spoke on The Rugby Pod, with Best asked why he did not join in Ireland’s Call, especially when he was captaining the Irish side.
Ireland’s Call, written by Derry’s Phil Coulter, has been adopted by the Irish rugby side as an alternative anthem to Amhrán na bhFiann, as the team represents the island of Ireland.
Describing his reason for not singing along, Best from Poyntzpass, said: “It goes back to my Ireland Schools’ days. You think it’s going to be the greatest honour you’re ever going to achieve. You’re playing for Ireland. Being from rugby families like we were, you’re going ‘this is incredible.
“You get so emotionally charged for it. And Ireland’s Call comes on that you’ve heard so many times in the old Lansdowne Road or watching on TV, and you’re belting it out.”
He described a game that got off to a bad start and made him reconsider any future singing of the adopted anthem.
“I remember we played France or England. Kicked off. I’m flying up going ‘the first guy is getting it’,” he said.
“They catch it, kick it out, and I’m turning around, running back to get a ball, still thinking ‘somebody’s gonna get it.’ I fired this throw in and it went…like I tell the story that it went three times the height of the person I was throwing it to. It wasn’t that bad. And it flew over the top.
“From then on, I went, I can’t go into a game...because it’s so emotive to me, Ireland’s Call. And actually, even the tail end of the Irish national anthem, you know the way you get that build-up for that crescendo at the end.”
He added of what he felt wad required on the pitch: “You have to get your heart rate down, you have to focus, get your breathing back, and focus for that split second to throw the perfect throw.”
