- Savannah Fynn says the attention she’s received has been overwhelming
- She revealed that she also received a lot of criticism for her appearance.
- He says the criticism directed at singer Dylan Wright was discouraging
Savannah Fynn first caught the eye when she performed Welcome to Country at the first State of Origin match last month, but has since revealed that not all of the attention she has received has been positive.
Fynn spoke with a maturity beyond his years as he acknowledged the traditional owners of the land in front of 80,000 football fans, before declaring “may the best team win” while dressed in Blues kit.
The 22-year-old college student’s speech was praised by many viewers, but Fynn says she also received plenty of criticism.
“I was really afraid of stuttering or making mistakes because I had never spoken in front of so many people,” Fynn said. Stellar.
‘But once I finished, I felt a moment of relief. I ran straight to my grandmother, obviously one of my elders, and gave her a big hug and hug.
“It’s an overwhelming feeling to have all this attention. It’s not something I’m used to at all.”
‘I’m a very calm person, so this is a big change. Although everything is positive, I have a hard time accepting praise and become a little shy. I’m almost ready for it to go out!’
“As sad as it is to have a lighter skin color, I have received a lot of hate for it.
Savannah Fynn (pictured) says she is overwhelmed by all the attention she has received for delivering the first Welcome to the Country match in Origin.
Fynn says she’s also received her fair share of negative feedback from viewers.
‘Many people have picked on my appearance, my way of speaking, I’ve even gone so far as to say that I have blonde hair. Actually, my hair is dark, I just dyed it blonde.
‘I think people also get very confused about what recognition and welcome actually is. We don’t welcome you to Australia; you obviously live here.
‘We welcome the traditional owners of that land and recognize traditional land. And as for the comments about overuse, I think you should respect everyone’s opinions, even if you don’t agree.
“As a First Nations person, I find it wonderful to see my culture accepted, but obviously you can’t please everyone.”
Fynn revealed he received 500 follow requests on Instagram immediately after his Welcome to Country at Sydney’s Accor Stadium, but singer Dylan Wright came under fire for his rendition of the national anthem earlier that night.
The 2024 Australian Idol winner performed a stripped-down, guitar-based performance of Advance Australia Fair that sparked torrents of criticism online.
Fynn’s Welcome to Country was widely praised by football fans that night
The college student said she was upset by some people’s reaction to singer Dylan Wright’s rendition of the national anthem.
Eagle-eyed viewers also noticed that Blues player Jake Trbojevic also seemed to not like what he was hearing, and his expression soon became a meme on social media.
“I found it disgusting the way people were talking about poor Dylan,” Fynn said.
“It was really discouraging and my heart hurt.”
