Springboks greeted warmly in All Blacks’ territory
South Africans in New Zealand warmly welcomed the Springboks ahead of their Rugby Championship clash with the All Blacks.
Fans in Auckland, New Zealand, gave the Springboks a warm welcome ahead of their upcoming Rugby Championship clash against the All Blacks.
Led by captain Siya Kolisi, the South African squad will play two away games against their biggest rugby rivals.
SPRINGBOKS TOUCH DOWN IN ALL BLACKS TERRITORY
A clip posted on social media showed the Springboks arriving in Auckland, New Zealand.
Just as die-hard supporters welcomed the All Blacks in South Africa, fans also gave the boys in green and gold a warm reception.
Many of the supporters donned Springbok fan merchandise and South African flags, and players stopped to sign autographs and snap happy pictures.
In the comments, one rugby fan posted: “It doesn’t matter in which country you stay now. Once a South African, always a South African. Once a Springbok supporter, always a Springbok supporter”. Another added: “Auckland has some awesome Springbok supporters and my family and I are some of them”.
HOW MANY SOUTH AFRICANS LIVE IN NEW ZEALAND?
The 2023 New Zealand census recorded nearly 100,000 South African-born permanent residents living in the country. These expats and their families make up 1.52% of the population, ranking South Africa as the fifth-largest source of immigrants after the United Kingdom, China, India, and Australia.
According to New Zealand Immigration, many South Africans are skilled workers employed in healthcare, IT, engineering, insurance, finance, and construction. Beyond New Zealand, South African expats also form the largest immigrant communities in the UK, Australia, and the US.