A chance conversation by four members of London Welsh Rugby Club in April 2003 led to the formation of the London Welsh Rugby Club Choir, who’s sole aim was to visit New Zealand in support of the 2005 Lions.
So successful was the choir’s tour, singing to packed audiences in such places as Christchurch Town Hall, Wellington Cathedral, The Northern Club in Auckland and an appearance on the New Zealand edition of Top of the Pops, that at the end of he tour it was decided to carry on performing.
The ethos of the choir has always been to support London Welsh Rugby Club through friendship and song, and appearances at such noteworthy events as the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics and the Hong Kong Sevens final as well as singing live on breakfast radio and television programmes, and European tours has made the choir one of the most famous rugby choirs in the world.
Coming on the back of a very successful tour to Andalusia in the autumn and as they enter their 20th anniversary year, the choir are delighted to announce that they have been chosen to appear at the Italy vs Wales 6 Nations international at Stadio Olympico in Rome where they will perform both the Italian and Welsh anthems as the teams line up before kick-off.
Choir chairman Joe Jones says “This is a wonderful opportunity for the choir in its twentieth anniversary and is the fruition of many years involvement with the Italian Rugby Federation.
We first appeared at the Stadio Olympico Rugby Fanzone in Rome in 2017 where we performed before the game on the stage to an audience of two thousand fans and also sang to the visiting guests as they entered the hospitality suite, one of whom was the British Ambassador to Rome. She was so impressed that two years later at the same fixture, she invited the choir to sing on the eve of the game at her official residence for a concert that she was hosting for both the Italian and Welsh dignitaries. It is fitting therefore that, this year, as well as appearing at the stadium, the new British Ambassador to Rome has invited the choir back to perform at his official residence on the Friday night.
Other appearances by the choir in Rome have been at the wonderful Frascati Cathedral where we raised money for local charities, so our reputation and the name of London Welsh Rugby Club, in the Italian capital is excellent, and we will look forward to future events there”
