All Blacks v Springboks: Fans mobilise in Hawke’s Bay for Rugby World Cup final

Fans of the Springboks and All Blacks are mobilising in Hawke’s Bay to show their support for a clash that fans hope will display the best that one of rugby union’s biggest rivalries has to offer.

The two teams’ last meeting before the World Cup ended in a crushing record defeat for the All Blacks, 35-7.

The last time the All Blacks met the Springboks in a World Cup final was in 1995, a meeting that the Springboks won 15-12.

They have met five times in World Cup games and the All Blacks have won three to the Springboks’ two.

Talitha Dias said she has organised a breakfast gathering of South Africans living in Hawke’s Bay at No 5 Café and Larder on Sunday morning.

“It is quite exciting to see people from all over the world coming together,” Dias said.

She said a game like the Rugby World Cup finals created a sense of ubuntu, meaning humanity and compassion towards others, as people put aside their differences to enjoy it together.

“We aim to replicate the electric atmosphere of a stadium right within the confines of our venue,” she wrote.

“Living in this beautiful country, we cherish the privilege of supporting our nation of birth.”

The venue is expected to be at capacity with the contingent of just over 80 South Africans expected alongside the other regulars watching the game.

Students at some schools in Hawke’s Bay showed their support for the All Blacks by dressing up in black on Friday.

St Mary’s School in Hastings held its annual Cultural Day celebration on Friday, which meant students from Aotearoa wore their black shirts, silver ferns and New Zealand flags.

Principal Liz Crowley said students from across 26 cultures attended the school, including representation from Indonesia, New Caledonia, Greece, Italy, Samoa, Tonga, India, Philippines and France.

“We’ve got a mixture of children here dressed in beautiful costumes and we’ve got a whole cohort here dressed as All Blacks,” Crowley said. “They’ll all be watching the game. Cultural Day just happened to coincide with the game coming on the weekend.”

Casey Chapman, of Puketapu School, said their students were wearing black today to support the All Blacks for the weekend final.

James Pocock joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2021 and writes breaking news and features, with a focus on environment, local government and post-cyclone issues in the region. He has a keen interest in finding the bigger picture in research and making it more accessible to audiences. He lives in Napier. james.pocock@nzme.co.nz