Englis rugby fans have been accused of a 'total lack of understanding' of slavery for singing Swing Low Sweet Chariot at sporting occasions.

The comment was made by academic Josephine Wright, who said it was 'unfortunate' that England rugby fans had adopted the song, which some experts believe refers to the Underground Railroad - the freedom movement that helped slaves escape to freedom.

It was revived during the Civil Rights movement.

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The song Swing Low Sweet Chariot is thought to refer to the Underground Railroad, which helped people escape from slavery

The song has been adopted by England rugby fans since 1988, but rugby fans have been accused of a 'total lack of understanding'

The song was first adopted by rugby fans in England in 1988, and has been sung at matches ever since, with artists including UB40, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Ella Eyre releasing rugby-inspired versions.

Professor Josephine Wright said she is saddened by the use of the song by rugby fans

Professor Wright, a professor of music and black studies at the College of Wooster in Ohio told the New York Times: 'Such cross-cultural appropriations of US slave songs betray a total lack of understanding of the historical context in which those songs were created by the American slave.'

And music history professor Arthur Jones told the newspaper he is saddened that the meaning of the song is lost when crowds chant it at sporting events.

He said: 'I feel kind of sad. I feel like the story of American chattel slavery and this incredible cultural tradition, built up within a community of people who were victims and often seen as incapable of standing up for themselves, is such a powerful story that I want the whole world to know about it. But apparently not everyone does.'

SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT Swing low, sweet chariot Coming for to carry me home Swing low, sweet chariot Coming for to carry me home I looked over Jordan, what did I see? Coming for to carry me home I saw a band of angels coming after me Coming for to carry me home (Repeat chorus) If you get back to Heaven before I do Coming for to carry me home You'll tell all my friends, I'll be coming there too Coming for to carry me home Advertisement

It first broke out as a chant in March 1988 at Twickenham Stadium in London when England beat Ireland following an impressive comeback.

Chris Oti, the first black player to play for the England rugby team for 80 years, scored a hat trick of tries, but opinions are split about whether his ethnicity inspired the singing.

In 1993 the question was tackled by The Independent, with one correspondent writing: 'It was often sung by a white crowd when black players were playing well - a backhanded compliment in my view.'

This was also described as 'slightly racist but in the best possible taste' by another reader, the New York Times states.

Another narrative, which is on the song's Wikipedia page, holds that pupils at Douai School sang it after the tries because it was a school tradition, and this caught on.

The song first appeared as a written text in the 1870s in songbooks for the Fisk University Jubilee Singers, a black choir which toured the US and Europe.

The song was first sung at Twickenham after England player Chris Oti inspired a memorable comeback against Ireland in 1988

England prop Mako Vunipola told The Telegraph that he was unaware of the song's history, stating: 'Watching games when I was younger, when you hear it come on it’s obviously something special and when you’re on the field and hear it, it gives you a bit of a lift, so never really thought about the meaning or if it’s from slavery.

'I had no idea about that, and now that you’ve told me it’s kind of... I don’t know if it’s relevant.

'If the fans want to sing it then let them sing it, but obviously if people find it offensive then sorry.'