Spine tingling rendition of Pilou Pilou sets standard for pre-match events

When it comes to pre-match pageantry, few sports match rugby for natural theatre.

Of course, other sports have their own incredible rituals, with American sports such as college football, NHL and the NBA all renowned for their pre-match ‘hype’.

In rugby, we are fortunate to have inbuilt traditions that double up as our very own hype-building exercises.

At the test level, there is the Haka, the Cibi, the Siva Tau and the Sipi Tau from the Pacific Island Nations. Whilst not a physical show, renditions of Fields of Athenry, La Marseillaise, Swing Low, Flower Of Scotland, Nessun Dorma and Delilah at Six Nations matches can be truly special. Aside from these more long-standing traditions, the Springboks’ introduction of the Impi Warriors pre-match was a masterstroke by South African rugby.

Certainly for the avoidance of insulting others, there are ample other examples of brilliant pre, during and post match traditions in our sport.

On the club front, Munster Rugby’s Thomond Park belting out Fields of Athenry and Stand Up And Fight are special moments whilst the raucous Stade Marcel Michelin Stadium is as intimidating a venue as there is in rugby.

Yet, one pre-match tradition stands head and shoulders above the rest.

At the home of the three-time Champions Cup winner RC Toulonnais, the Pilou Pilou reigns as their pre-match build-up.

First sung by a local writer, Marcel Bodrero, in the 1940s, rugby fans adopted it into their own version of a Haka. Since then, it has been an incredible piece of theatre in the build-up to Toulon matches.

This weekend was no exception as Toulon welcomed a red-hot Glasgow Warriors side to town for what would be an all-time classic Champions Cup clash. Going the full distance, the match had it all, with the home side coming out on top by the slimmest margins at 30 – 29.

Whilst the action in the match was exceptional, the Pilou Pilou beforehand felt like an all-timer. Check it out below!