The Dutch cricket team have confessed it has completely “ripped off” the Richmond Tigers’ team song.
The Netherlands are one of several nations punching above their weight at the T20 World Cup and claimed their first win of the Super 12 stage against Zimbabwe on Wednesday.
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After the five-wicket win, the team celebrated by belting out their version of Richmond’s “We’re from Tigerland” song in the change rooms.
“Yellow and black” was changed to “orange and blue” but the tune of the famous AFL song can be heard loud and clear.
“There is a fantastic song that we’ve brought in over the last four or five years,” coach of the Netherlands Ryan Campbell told Triple M.
“It’s actually a rip off of the Richmond Tigerland song. The orange and blue.”
Here is the full adapted version of the lyrics:
Oh we’re from Netherlands!
A fighting fury we’re from Netherlands
In any weather you’ll see us with a grin
Risking head and skin
If we’re behind then never mind
We’ll fight and fight and win
For we’re from Netherlands
We never weaken til the final ball is bowled
Like the Dutch of old
We’re strong and we’re bold
For we’re from Nether
Orange and Blue
We’re from Netherlands
They’re not the only cricket team to take inspiration from Richmond’s team song.
Earlier this year, the Sunrisers Hyderabad celebrated a win in the Indian Premier League by singing an adaptation of the Tigers’ song with slightly different lyrics.
The Netherlands qualified for the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup and is on the bottom of Group 2 with one game remaining against South Africa on Sunday.
Campbell said smaller cricketing nations such as the Netherlands are desperate for more opportunities to play top-tier teams on a regular basis.
“We all know the ‘Big Three’ (Australia, England, India) get all the cash and rightly so,” he said.
“I think for us, it’s our duty to leave the game in a better place than when it started. And to do that you need to grow the game.
“We all know the 12 full members — that’s Afghanistan and Ireland included in that and they’re growing the game in their countries. But I think we have an obligation to build places we have not really been before. The USA, Nepal, Scotland, Namibia, us (the Netherlands). “They’re great stories and we probably haven’t been given enough opportunity. I know the fixture lists every year are extremely busy, I understand that. But somehow we need to grow the game.
“If someone comes on tour they’re going to tour England. Maybe they should be dropping into the Netherlands and playing their warm-up games instead of playing a county team who has no interest in playing. Come in, play the Netherlands, play Scotland. We want to take it to places where it’s never been before.”
The Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup wraps up this weekend.
Australia requires a massive win over Afghanistan and other results to fall their way to progress to the semi-finals.
