A number of US academics have criticised the use of the slave anthem "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" by English rugby supporters.

The origins of the song relate back to a brutal time in American history during the era of slave trade and the anthem became a spiritual song for the 19th-century African-American and the struggles they endured.

Speaking to the New York Times, Josephine Wright, a professor of music and black studies at the College of Wooster in Ohio said: "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."

Music history professor Arthur Jones added: "I feel like the story of American chattel slavery and this incredible cultural tradition, built up within a community of people who 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," he added.

England face Scotland this weekend looking to equal the record of 18 consecutive wins by a tier one nation which was set by New Zealand up until they lost to Ireland in Chicago last November.

Scotland head to Twickenham knowing a win will earn them the Triple Crown and Calcutta Cup as well as halting the home side's run.