Why do Ireland fans sing ‘Zombie’ at Rugby World Cup 2023?

IRELAND are strong favourites to win the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

Owen Farrell’s side got through Pool B with a flawless record and will take on New Zealand in the quarter-final.

Ireland fans celebrating at the Pool B win against ScotlandAP

But why do Ireland fans sing ‘Zombie’ after every win at the Rugby World Cup?

Why do Ireland fans sing ‘Zombie’ at Rugby World Cup 2023?

‘Zombie’ was a song by The Cranberries written by the band’s lead singer, Dolores O’Riordan.

The 1994 song catapulted the band to international stardom and was written in response to the death of two children in the Warrington bombings.

Speaking about the song, O’Riordan told Team Rock: “I remember at the time there were a lot of bombs going off in London and the Troubles were pretty bad.

“I remember being on tour and being in the UK at the time when the child died, and just being really sad about it all. These bombs are going off in random places. It could have been anyone, you know?

“It’s a tough thing to sing about, but when you’re young you don’t think twice about things, you just grab it and do it.”

The Limerick-born singer’s song has been sung by thousands of Ireland fans in France as it’s become the country’s unofficial World Cup anthem.

According to the Irish Times, following the death of Dolores O’Riordan in 2018, songs by The Cranberries were played as a mark of respect at sporting events all over Ireland, particularly in Limerick.

The song ‘Zombie’ seems to of stuck with fans at the World Cup, and a rendition of the song is sung after every Ireland win.

They have belted out the chorus across many stadiums in France up to now and will be hoping to do the same against New Zealand in the quarter-finals.

However, despite their success in recent years, they will have history against them, as Ireland have never made it past the quarter-final stage at the World Cup.

They have been on the receiving end of eight eliminations at the last-eight stage, including at the last three editions of the tournament.

When is Ireland vs New Zealand?

Ireland’s World Cup encounter against New Zealand is set to take place on Saturday, October 14.
Kick off is set to get underway at 8pm BST.
The allocated venue, the Stade de France in Paris, can hold 80,000 fans.