England's rugby league side are competing in the current World Cup with an immediate disadvantage.

Now I know this will upset some of you, but why do our players have to line up before kick-off and try and sing along to dreary old ‘God Save The Queen’?

In the Commonwealth Games, when all the home nations compete separately, if England’s competitors strike gold they receive their medal to the tune of Jerusalem.

Somehow it seems a more uplifting piece of music to me, or maybe a rousing rendition of ‘I Vow To Thee My Country’ could be a good option.

It just strikes me that the likes of the French, Italians, Americans and even the Australians get to belt out more raucous anthems.

Players seem to get caught up in singing ‘La Marseillaise’, ‘Il Canto degli Italiani’, ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ or ‘Advance Australia Fair’ and as result get that bit more pumped up and patriotic in the final minutes before kick-off in these international games.

The Scots and Welsh certainly seem to enjoy belting out ‘Flower Of Scotland’ and ‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’ with some gusto, and even if your anthem isn’t that stunning then you can be like the Pacific Islanders and ramp everything up a notch by then performing a Haka, Sivi Tau or singing a team song like the Fijians, who get ever so emotional.

However, England are possibly even a bit stuck on that front too.

The only obviously intrinsic national form of folk display would be Morris dancing.

Would having 17 burly rugby league players jigging about in front of you jangling bells, while wearing straw boaters and wafting floral handkerchiefs in your face be really threatening? Hold on a second, that could actually be truly psychologically unsettling – excuse me I have got a phone-call to make to Steve McNamara!