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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Ben James

Louis Rees-Zammit posts pointed message after WRU ban Delilah from stadium

Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit has caused a stir with his comments on Twitter after the Welsh Rugby Union's decision to ban Delilah from the Principality Stadium.

The call to remove the famous song, which has become synonymous with Wales rugby matches over the years, comes after the union was rocked by allegations of sexism and misogyny last week.

Now, days ahead of the start of the Six Nations and an opening fixture against Ireland in Cardiff, the WRU have banned 'Delilah' from being sung by the choirs at the Principality Stadium. Sir Tom Jones' 1968 hit, which is about a jealous lover stabbing his unfaithful partner, has not been played over the PA system at the stadium since 2015, but has still been performed by the choir before kick-off. You can read about why many people deem it inappropriate here.

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There have been previous calls to ban the song, most notably by Dafydd Iwan. Given the serious nature of the allegations over the past week and the calls for change, the decision to ban the song now has been denounced by some as a token gesture.

Rees-Zammit, who has won 22 caps, while not referring to the news directly, appeared to share that sentiment when posting on social media - suggesting there were other things to sort out first.

The Gloucester star tweeted: "All the things they need to do and they do that first…"

WRU bosses would point to the fact they have spent the past few days trying to set in motion real change, forming an external taskforce to clean up the game.

The union has also announced plans for major governance reform on Wednesday evening that will see the Board transformed to include at least five women. You can read the full proposals here, which will have to be voted through by clubs at an EGM in March.

Rees-Zammit is part of Warren Gatland's squad, but is unlikely to feature until the England game on February 25 due to injury.

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