There are undoubtedly some Welsh names that can be difficult for someone who does not speak the language to negotiate, but the country itself – Cymru – is surely not too tricky.
So there has been a degree of frustration in Wales that the retailer Sports Direct has managed to mangle it as “Cyrmu” on a range of bobble hats.
The £6 hat was removed from the Sports Direct website when the mistake was spotted but could still be found in some stores. It was being targeted by buyers eager to grab an item that could become a collector’s piece.
Some of the hats have already made it out to sport arenas, with a number noticed warming the heads of football fans at the Wales women’s match against the Republic of Ireland at Cardiff City Stadium on Friday.
Ian Hamer, a producer for BBC Wales news, posted that the “funniest moment” at the playoff game was “realising there was a row of fans in front of us who all had matching bobble hats spelling … CYRMU!”
We’re still in this tie. Funniest moment tonight – realising there was a row of fans in front of us who all had matching bobble hats spelling… CYRMU! pic.twitter.com/EJE8V2nrIp
— Ian Hamer (@ian_hamer) November 29, 2024
Others sounded less amused, with one critic asking Sports Direct: “Can you maybe spell Cymru correctly?”
A Welsh brand, Penwisg, posted images of its hats with Cymru correctly spelt and promised: “You can trust us with your merchandise, we’ll make sure it’s correct every time!”
Sports Direct has been asked to comment.