“Right here, right now”…or “Wrong place, wrong time”?

On March 30 Rugby New Zealand 2011 confirmed that the backing song for the ticketing campaign for the Rugby World Cup 2011 would be The Feelers’ version of the 1990 Jesus Jones’ song “Right Here, Right Now”.

The use of the song and the version by The Feelers has come in for ferocious criticism over the last month, with Martin Snedden, the chief executive of Rugby New Zealand 2011, forced to defend the choice through the media. According to Snedden, the song was specially selected as the lyrics tell a story that “captures exactly what we’re about”. He told the New Zealand Herald:

"It's about a moment in time. It's right here, right now, seize the moment, let's make it something incredibly special…I think it is something that come Rugby World Cup time we are going to hear people singing from the terraces, the embankments and, maybe, even the stands."

Despite Snedden’s carpe diem declarations, blogs and tweets are divided as to whether or not a Kiwi song as performed by a Kiwi artist should have been chosen to front the ticketing campaign for what is building to be New Zealand’s biggest event ever.  As to whether or not the song will be sung from the terraces, embankments and stands regardless of the merits of The Feelers’ version you can’t help but think Sneddon’s statement is wishful thinking. If he was after boisterous singing, perhaps he should have visited the Sevens in Wellington to hear the crowd favourites.

But in an ironic twist New Zealand Football has chosen “Stand Up” originally by The Feelers but performed by Stan Walker (who incidentally we claim as our own even though he was born in Australia…how convenient!) as the All Whites’ campaign anthem in the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa in June. The Feelers: 0; The Feelers: 1.

So what do you think? Love it? Hate it? Should we have used a New Zealand song and artist to promote our biggest ever sporting event to the rest of the world?  If so, which artist and song do you think would be more appropriate (we’ll accept any answer but Th’Dudes’ “Drink yourself more bliss”)?