New Zealand’s rugby team will be in action at the Olympic Stadium later this month, so it seemed appropriate that a group of schoolgirls from Forest Gate were among those to welcome the players to England.

St Angela’s Ursuline choir visited the Tower of London on Friday to perform the song World in Union in front of the All Blacks stars.

Dressed in the colour of the defending champions, the girls from the St George’s Road school weren’t fazed as they performed in front of a crowd that featured a number of famous faces and important people in the sport.

Richie McCaw, the New Zealand captain, said: “It’s awesome to finally be here, and we’re really looking forward to getting started.

“It feels like the excitement has been building for a long time and we could really feel that when we were getting on the plane.

“The tournament is going to be awesome and we’re really looking forward to all the support.”

The choir was chosen following an application process that was open to all schools in England and Wales.

With more than 100 choirs entering, the standard was high.

The girls’ talent and effort led to them being one of just 20 schools selected to perform at the welcome ceremonies, which were held at venues across the country, one for every nation competing in the Rugby World Cup.