Year 12 student sings moving Indigenous national anthem
NRL fans have praised a year 12 student’s moving Indigenous rendition of the Australian national anthem at Leichhardt Oval on Thursday night.
Rebecca Hatch, a HSC student from Campbelltown Performing Arts High School, kicked off the NRL’s Indigenous Round with the unique verse, complete with Aboriginal instruments behind her words.
With Wests Tigers and North Queensland Cowboys players lined up in their special Indigenous jerseys, Hatch continued on with the English verse – much like the Maori and English mix for New Zealand’s national anthem.
“Congratulations to Year 12 student, Rebecca Hatch,” Campbelltown PAHS wrote on Twitter.
“A beautiful rendition of the National Anthem for the NRL 2018 Indigenous round.”
Rugby league fans joined in the applause for the teenager, with some calling for the new verse to be adopted on a permanent basis:
This is the way the national anthem should always be sung
— rob treloar (@robrabbitohDJB) May 10, 2018
What a talent! Campbelltown Performing Arts High School student Rebecca Hatch sang a beautiful rendition of Advance Australia Fair in her traditional language & in English to kick off the NRL Indigenous Round. #NRLTigersCowboys pic.twitter.com/1M8jmMwOoY
— Julieanne Horsman (@JustJulieanne) May 10, 2018
That’s the way our national anthem should be sung always. Fantastic acknowledgement of Australia’s First People by NRL and both clubs at Leichhardt Oval. pic.twitter.com/lmotwIZKd1
— Brad Walter (@BradWalterSport) May 10, 2018
#NRLTigersCowboys best version of the Australian national anthem.
— Sean Dunn (@Seanydunndunn) May 10, 2018
Best national anthem we have had in a long time @NRL #Indigenous #tigerscowboys
— Michael Scott (@ballbagswag) May 10, 2018
Gee I really enjoyed that rendition of the Australian national anthem to kick off #NRLTigersCowboys & Indigenous round.
— Tim Mackay (@timqfadvice) May 10, 2018
Brilliant! Been saying forever we should sing the National Anthem with an indigenous verse first as the NZ one is sung. That was fantastic @nrl. Well done ! #NRLTigersCowboys
— Nath@Nobbys (@SassierMuffin) May 10, 2018
The Indigenous jerseys and National Anthem is amazing ! Well done NRL #NRLTigersCowboys #IndigenousRound
— Bianca Giteau (@beeanchor84) May 10, 2018
Can that be our national anthem full time please? Beautiful stuff #NRLTigersCowboys
— Chris (@chrisllew27) May 10, 2018
I am ABSOLUTELY about this! Make the Australian national anthem like New Zealand, Indigenous than english. ❤️ #NRLIndigenous #NRLTigersCowboys
— Louise Fernance (@weezie_13) May 10, 2018
Loving the national anthem sung in a First Nations dialect & in english. #NRLTigersCowboys
— Cherie Lee (@leecd60) May 10, 2018