The All Blacks have a large South African following – here’s why

Opinion: Springboks fan Lauren Marrion explains why many South Africans will be supporting the All Blacks in this weekend’s Rugby World Cup final.

As a Springboks supporter, I can’t help but notice all the love for the All Blacks within the South African social circles I navigate.

Several of my Kiwi peers are oblivious to the amount of support their beloved All Blacks attract from South Africans based in New Zealand and South Africa alike.

I find in a room filled with South Africans watching a rugby match between the ‘Boks and the All Blacks, at least one half of that room will be kitted out in All Blacks gear, brandishing New Zealand flags, and attempting to do their rendition of a haka.

The same does not apply to Kiwis. You wouldn’t find them supporting the Springboks.

The reason many South Africans support the All Blacks dates back to when South Africa’s apartheid regime meant Māori and Pacific players couldn’t compete against the Springboks.

For 90 years, the Springboks team consisted of only white players. This led to coloured (an ethnicity within South Africa) and black people supporting the All Blacks as part of their stance against the apartheid regime.

Heston Botha, the president of an All Blacks fan club in South Africa, recalls one match during the 1970s, when the All Blacks were allowed to have Māori players on their team in South Africa. He said 99% of the crowd’s support that day was for the All Blacks.

When the apartheid regime came to an end in the early 1990s, the oppressed non-white people still had many struggles ahead.

Today, there are still plenty of South Africans who pledge allegiance to the All Blacks – some because they like their style on the field and others because they enjoy the haka.

A lot of other South Africans who live in New Zealand are “on the fence” when it comes to the rugby as they simply love both teams.

There will only be one winner of the Rugby World Cup on Sunday. But it’s safe to say there will be many South Africans pleased with the result, whatever that might be.