Roots of "Ro" | Norway's Viral World Cup Chant That Shone a Spotlight on Rowing

You may have recently noticed a little more rowing action than usual this summer.

Tens of thousands of fans have been mimicking the rowing stroke, inspired by a major sporting event that is capturing the imagination of the world. No, we are not just referring to our excellent World Rowing Cup series, although that has equally dazzled the public, but the FIFA World Cup. In particular, Norway, the plucky Nordic football team, has reached the quarter-finals after defeating a string of opponents, including footballing titans Brazil.

The viral World Cup Viking chant often involves blowing a horn before a ‘sea’ of fans sit in neat coordination and, in time with an ever-quickening drum beat, perform an exaggerated rowing motion with an imaginary oar while chanting “Ro”, the Norwegian word for “row”.

Erling Haaland, the Manchester City striker and Norway’s star player, has been seen leading the drumbeat in a packed stadium, firing up their legions of loyal fans in a unifying moment that certainly hyped up their performances and quite possibly intimidated their opponents too.

No doubt Norway drew on the pride of its Viking heritage, where oar-powered boats were historically vital for crossing treacherous coastal fjords and undertaking the precise manoeuvres needed for regional travel and ambitious (and occasionally aggressive) voyages.

To reinforce the point, the official Norwegian football team photo showed the players clad in Viking attire, holding shields and swords, with traditional rowing boats as the backdrop. Norway’s kit also featured lettering in a distinctive Viking style.

While coordinated ‘Viking rowing’ has been a feature in audience events in the past in music events, the iteration that caused this phenomenon can be traced to Ole Frøystad, a primary school teacher, who, having experimented with a range of different chants over winter in 2025, settled on the version we now know. Frøystad eventually clubbed with Torstein Hamran, a leading member of a local Norwegian supporters’ club, to test it on some friendly games ahead of the FIFA World Cup. As reported by ESPN, the initial test showed that the fans needed proper rowing form to create greater visual impact, so, emulating a rowing coach, they started to create easy-to-follow instructions on social media as well as to local news outlets for the next friendly game just prior to the World Cup.

This made an immediate impact, catching fire on social media, garnering tens of millions of views and evolving from a match-day routine into a cultural phenomenon extending far beyond Norwegian football. Before long, the chants and rowing motions had spread from football stands to airport escalators, fan zones, and even Norway’s Parliament. Suddenly, we had both Norway’s Prime Minister and Crown Prince joining in on the Viking row.

At its most literal level, the “Ro” chant refers to rowing and Norway’s seafaring traditions, while also helpfully sounding similar to the English word “row”. The chant has also captured the imagination of non-Norwegian fans too, drawing comparisons with fellow Nordic nation Iceland’s famous Viking Thunder Clap during Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Even Google created an animation celebrating the chant.

The coordinated rowing movement also symbolises teamwork, a hallmark in our sport. A Viking longship could have as many as 60 oars, requiring far greater synchronisation than even the modern octuple scull of just 16 oars. Pulling together in the same direction is exactly what Norway’s football team did, overcoming far higher-ranked teams.

However, “Ro” can also carry a dual meaning, conveying a sense of peace and calm, an ideal state of balance and wellbeing. The word shares this meaning across all three Scandinavian languages. Norwegians often cite the importance of achieving a healthy work-life balance and maintaining a close connection with nature. Rowers sculling through tranquil rivers at dawn can certainly relate to this feeling.

It is therefore heartening that, during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the “Ro” chant became one of the tournament’s standout cultural moments. Alongside its celebration of Norwegian pride, perhaps it has also planted a seed of curiosity among the millions watching about both rowing’s rich heritage and the modern sport that we champion every day.