By Kath
August 12 2011

The official album of Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand was launched by the world’s biggest-selling soprano and one of the country’s most recognisable stars, Hayley Westenra.

Hayley Westenra

World in Union, which will be released by Universal Music on August 26th and is available on CD and at iTunes and other digital providers, will feature 22 tracks recorded by some of the world’s most recognisable operatic voices to celebrate this year’s largest sporting event.

The 2011 album features Westenra recording a rendition that will become the voice of ITV's coverage of the Rugby World Cup 2011. The 24-year-old follows in the footsteps of another of New Zealand's most celebrated singers, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, who had a hit with her version for Rugby World Cup 1991.

Westenra has not only recorded the song in English and Maori, as heard on this album, but also in Italian, French and Japanese.

Click Here to Hear a short clip of World in Union by Hayley

ITV's coverage of the Rugby World Cup - the version used in the titles, produced by Jump Design, has been specially recorded by Hayley for ITV and is sung in both English and Maori.

Find out when and where to watch ITV’s coverage of every match at the 2011 Rugby World Cup – HERE

Hayley Westenra Biography

Kiwi songbird Hayley Westenra donned a bulletproof vest during a visit to Iraq to perform in a bid to help raise moral among British troops.