[Medianext.MX]

I have nothing against, Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien, by Edith Pief but it is not a rugby anthem and it is not part of the Rugby World Cup tradition. I agree it is a French iconic song but if ITV are keen to have something done in French, why not do World in Union in French? I'd be up for that.

And even the circunstances that based the song are completely different: Piaf wrote the song in honour of the Légion Étrangère during the Algerian Independence War, at a degree it is now used as an unofficial anthem, and sung during military parades, and also relates on her personal experiences and memories during her own life. As a result, it is often regared as the quintessential chanson française song, covered by French and international artists, and even used in TV series and films.

I think ITV’s decision had to do more with its quintessential status, rather than its real value in French sport. ITV’s coverage of another French-organised sporting event (the 1998 World Cup) had this Eurodance remix of Jean-Michel Jarre’s Fourth Rendez-vous (aptly titled Rendez-vous 98) by Apollo 440 and Jarre himself. It was not associated with the event whatsoever, however, it quickly became synonymous with ITV's coverage of the event and it charted at number 12.

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Being honest, it is a difficult decision to select the right song that can fit the right pace of the event, but World in Union is already strongly and heavily associated with the Rugby World Cup, so, if World Rugby took the decision to drop the anthem officially... difficult indeed.