England fans will be hoping to avoid the headlines for the wrong reasons this weekend as they face Fiji in the Quilter Nation Series
Abbie Meehan Sports Writer U-35s
06:00, 08 Nov 2025
England fans will be under intense scrutiny this weekend(Image: David Rogers/Getty Images)
England fans will be under the microscope for their reaction to Fiji’s war dance on Saturday ahead of their autumn international clash.
The last time England faced off against Fiji fans were slammed for “disrespectful” behaviour during their opponents’ war dance. During the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-finals, England held off a Fiji comeback to secure a 30-24 victory.
However, all eyes were on the England fans during Fiji’s war dance as they attempted to drown out the tradition with their own song ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’. This war dance is similar to Samoa’s or New Zealand’s famous pre-match traditions, with the Haka from the All Blacks perhaps the most recognisable.
Most opposition fans opt to stay quiet out of respect but England supporters tried to get one over the Fiji team with a rendition of their own traditional song. This didn’t go down well as many users hit out on social media to criticise the disruption caused by the England fans.
One person wrote: “How classless of the England fans to sing over the Fiji Cibi,” while another added: “Disrespectful display from England fans during the Fiji Cibi.”
One disgruntled viewer said: “No respect from the English fans during Fiji cibi. Remember when the English got so worked up when Scotland booed English anthem? Ok it was football but f*** me you lot love double standards.”
Fans tried to drown out Fiji’s traditional pre-match war dance(Image: Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
All attention will be on the home fans this time around to see if history will repeat itself during Fiji’s pre-match war dance or if the supporters at Twickenham will stay quiet out of respect.
Following England’s commanding 25-7 victory over Australia last weekend, boss Steve Borthwick praised his team’s character for staying composed in difficult moments. He said: “There was a period where the game was tight in very difficult conditions against an Australian side that are tough and really well drilled.
“But as I watched our team, I thought they were really composed, really composed and knew what to do next. The players were really clear on what they were attempting to do.”
The England head coach is clear about what his team needs to improve ahead of the Fiji match. He added: “Finishing games off, there’s a number of factors that come to finishing those games off.
“Sometimes you go through some painful experiences. But this is a squad that is eager to learn. So we’ll address those issues we can learn from. And there’ll be plenty when we review it, we could do better. So the aim is to be a better team next Saturday.”
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The Rugby Autumn Nations Series gets underway on November 1 with Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland among the teams in action. Fans can watch every game on the TNT Sports Prime Video channel.
