John Williamson ProfileJohn Williamson has offered to put himself forward to once again sing Waltzing Matilda for his beloved Wallabies, Australia’s national rugby union team.
“How you going there, Wallabies? Thanks for the call-up,” the True Blue icon said in a video shared on social media on Monday (2 November).
He continued, “You know, I’ve always been available to sing Waltzing Matilda; I just haven’t been asked.
“It kills me that we have no comeback to the Haka [a dance form performed to challenge opponents adopted by New Zealand’s national rugby union team, the All Blacks]. So, the answer is yes,” Williamson concluded, holding up a cap that reads, “We’ll sing Matilda.”
Check out the video below.
August 1999 marked the first time that Williamson led a crowd of 104,000-strong rugby supporters in Sydney, performing Waltzing Matilda for the Wallabies.
Ten years later, he celebrated the decade of singing the classic Australian song at the Bledisloe Cup Rugby Test matches between Australia and New Zealand.
Initially, World Cup-winning coach Rod McQueen asked Williamson if he could think of a song to counter the Haka performed by the All Blacks; he didn’t hesitate in suggesting Waltzing Matilda.
Over a hundred thousand attendees, plus the All Blacks themselves, sang the song with Williamson. It seems that it’s time for the country music icon to finally return to the world stage to represent his beloved Wallabies.
Williamson recorded a “Rugby Version” of the song in 1999; it went on to feature on his albums, Anthems and True Blue 2.
The Wallabies will next play against the New Zealand All Blacks on Sunday, 25 April, at 10 am at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium. Will John Williamson be there? Fingers crossed.
