- Black RFU chair Tom Ilube picks song on Radio 4 show
- Song’s use has caused controversy due to its roots in slavery
Tom Ilube, the first black chair of the Rugby Football Union, has included Swing Low, Sweet Chariot among his choices on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs despite controversy surrounding the song’s use at Twickenham due to its roots in slavery.
Ilube, who in August became the first black chair of a British national sporting organisation, listed the song among his eight tracks, admitting he “agonised” over the decision and that “people have different opinions” about it. He went on to explain how the death of his brother Jim in 2012 had played a key part in his decision, recalling how it evoked memories of standing together at Twickenham matches.