Former Ireland captain Rory Best has revealed why he never sang the national anthem before matches, despite representing his country on 124 occasions.
While his teammates belted out Ireland's Call, Best would stand silently, prompting questions from supporters about his decision.
Some wondered whether his Northern Irish background had anything to do with it.
However, the former Ulster hooker revealed that his decision had nothing to do with politics.
Instead, it came down to how emotional he became whenever the anthem played.
Rory Best explains why he never sang Ireland's Call
Speaking to Darren Cave on The Rugby Pod, Best addressed the criticism he received for remaining silent.
He explained:
“Look, the thing is, it’s so ironic that you get abused for it, and nobody’s ever stopped and asked you, ‘why don’t you sing it?’
“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.”
Best recalled how singing the anthem before an Ireland Schools match left him so fired up that he struggled to control his emotions.
“I remember we played France or England. Kicked off. I’m flying up going ‘the first guy is getting it!’ 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.”
That moment convinced Best that singing the anthem could affect his concentration before important matches.
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Why the anthem was too emotional for Best
The former Ireland captain admitted that Ireland's Call continued to stir powerful emotions throughout his career.
He explained:
“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.
“The problem is then, I worry that it’s going to happen in a big game. That we’re going to kick off against the All Blacks, Beauden Barrett’s going to catch it, kick it out, and then I’m fully charged, trying to focus in.
“It is such a core skill. It’s a bit like goalkicking, 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.”
Former Ireland coach Joe Schmidt had also previously explained Best's decision, pointing to the importance of controlling his emotions before kick-off.
For Best, remaining silent was never about a lack of pride in representing Ireland.
It was because singing the anthem meant so much to him that he feared losing his concentration before the match had even begun.
