Malta Rugby Union go into their FIRA European Nations Cup Division 2A match against Croatia on Saturday November 9th at Hibernians with a secret weapon, they have a 16th man in the team, namely Gozitan opera star Miriam Cauchi who will be singing the Maltese national anthem immediately before the match kicks off.
Malta, who emerged from a tussle against Lithuania last Saturday away from home with a slender win, know they need every possible physical and psychological edge to be competitive against the skillful Croatians. Damian Neill’s Malta side are struggling with injuries to established players and news that one of the world’s star sopranos will be sending them into battle will undoubtedly raise spirits.
Malta Rugby said that “Soprano, Miriam Cauchi very kindly offered to lend her support to the Malta National Rugby Team and she will be singing the Maltese national anthem which will have many of the expected 4000 fans filling Hibernians singing along with her.”
“Sports stadiums are probably the world’s best theatrical stages,” said Team Manager Steve Busutill. “Performing in them is an important way to spread music to audiences and show what a tangible and important effect it can have on people, not just the fans in the stadium at Hibernians or watching on TV, but also the Maltese players lined-up on the pitch.
“It’s a vital moment prior to the game when emotions are high, it doesn’t get any better than having such a big star putting her voice behind us. If Miriam Cauchi manages to transfer her passion to the Maltese players and fans this Saturday it will be an awe-inspiring affair,” said Busuttil.
Malta returned from Lithuania on Sunday and started preparations at home with a squad made up of fifteen locally-based players. Malta’s hopes of retaining their place in FIRA’s European Division 2A depend on a positive result in Saturday’s match against Croatia at Hibs, and a defeat could spell concrete relegation worries.
The Maltese are currently one place off bottom in a five-team group, a slender four points ahead of Lithuania who are languishing at the foot of the table. Malta uncharacteristically had back-to-back defeats to Switzerland and the Netherlands earlier in the year which has left the national rugby team scrambling to avoid the drop.
With the bottom team automatically relegated and the fourth-placed side facing a play-off for survival, the Maltese will be desperate to claim maximum points on Saturday and avoid slipping down to Division 2B. Croatia lost to Switzerland 11-26 last Saturday.
Pressure is on both sides to avoid the relegation play-off or worse. Malta climbed from 49 to 45, and Croatia dropped from 52 to 55 in the World Rankings after last Saturday’s results.
Perhaps taking the song into their hearts from Miriam Cauchi’s rousing national anthem will be the fuel that ignites the fire for the Maltese national rugby union team.
Malta’s European Nations Cup Qualifier match against Croatia will take place at the Hibernians Football Stadium on Saturday November 9, kick-off at 2.00pm.
For further information visit www.maltarugby.com [1] or book online with www.ticketline.com.mt [2] or call 9920 7677.
Miriam Cauchi M.O:M. is a firmly established Gozitan soprano, making a name for herself both in Malta and overseas. Graduating with full honours from the Sofia State Music Academy in 1997, she furthered her studies in Milan and attended master classes in Barcelona.
She is the recipient of the Gheorghi Slatev Cherkin Competition and the Bulgarian XIV National Competition Svetoslav Obretenov. Possessing a rich, clear and velvety voice that enables her to tackle a wide range of repertoire from Italian bel canto opera, oratorio, to lieder and contemporary works, Cauchi has performed extensively in Malta, Germany, Slovenia, Spain, Bulgaria, and America.
Miriam is also very much in demand for recitals with pianoforte and chamber ensembles. She is a major ambassador of Maltese vocal music having recorded important compositions by Maltese composers, such as Abos, Camilleri, Isouard, Vassallo, Vella and Zerafa.
In October, Miriam starred as Desdemona in the two highly acclaimed performances of Otello at the Teatru Astra in Gozo.