Six Nations Rugby And The Super Bowl: More In Common Than It Seems

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: February 6, 2011

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You might be forgiven for thinking—were you American—that the entire sporting world pauses on its axis in awed silence as the brouhaha that is the Super Bowl sweeps towards NFL Championship Sunday.

The hype surrounding this annual-holiday event began months ago: Fox had sold every one of its £3 million advertising slots by last October. With an expected audience of around 150 million for at least part of the game—with many, it is claimed, tuning in just to see the lavish adverts—no wonder corporate America wants a piece of the action.

And even though this year will be the first in the Bowl’s history that cheerleaders do not play a part—the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers are two of the few teams to have dispensed with their squads—the glamour quotient remains high.

Christina Aguilera will sing the National Anthem, the Black Eyed Peas are providing the half-time entertainment, and Usher, Slash, Maroon 5 and Keith Urban are slated to contribute to the pregame and postgame showcase.

Meanwhile, on the other side of ‘The Pond’, things are being done a little differently.

For while the padded up and helmeted Super Bowl heroes gear themselves to the predetermined rhythm of the broadcasters’ advertising breaks, its stripped down, Euro-centred equivalent is also kicking off.

It’s the opening weekend of the Six Nations Championship—the highlight of the annual rugby union calendar. In Wales, Italy and France, the singing comes from the players and the fans, and there is nothing to match it anywhere in sport—even Christina at full belt.

The Six Nations is a competition where deep-rooted loyalties have been determined by the history books, with the English as the common foe. It may be hundreds of years since a King Edward or a King Henry strode into Scotland or Wales, Ireland or France, but an unspok...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Rugby Union

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