When two jets in Springbok green and All Blacks' black roared low over Cape Town’s DHL Stadium, they captured a uniquely South African truth: here, team loyalties run far deeper than sports.
To an outsider, seeing thousands of South Africans cheer against the green-and-gold seems like a head-scratching paradox.
Yet behind the ocean of New Zealand flags lies an ancestral story of political defiance, cherished family memories, and a complex pride that has quietly passed from one generation to the next.
For people in the stadium that day, the flyover felt less like a show and more like a symbol. The two planes seemed to reflect a truth South Africa has lived with for almost a century: here, especially in Cape Town, there is room for more than one loyalty.
Beneath the roar of those engines, the flashing fireworks, and the chaos of a tight 33–26 Springbok win, social media immediately lit up with that one burning question that always surfaces: why on earth do so many black and coloured South Africans support New Zealand?
If you're looking from the outside, it feels like a total contradiction. But if you actually look at the way our culture works, it’s a perfect example of how a political protest can turn into a family tradition.
This isn't about people hating modern South Africa. It’s much deeper than that; it’s about honouring family memories, remembering our history, and owning a very unique kind of sporting pride.
An ancestral defiance
To understand why a South African would wear the New Zealand silver fern, you have to look back at how tough life was before democracy in 1994.
Long before these fans were given the local nickname the "Cape Crusaders," choosing to cheer for the opposing team was a peaceful way to protest against the government.
During apartheid, the Springbok team did not represent everyone; it was an all-white team heavily backed by the racist apartheid government.
For communities who were stripped of their rights and treated like outsiders in their own country, rooting against the green-and-gold was a powerful way to stand up for freedom.
And the All Blacks were the ultimate opposition.
When New Zealand came to play in South Africa during those difficult apartheid years, these rugby matches meant much more than just a game. In sports-loving neighbourhoods like Athlone and Ravensmead, and at historic clubs like Hamediehs RFC, which was born in District Six before the government forced people out, wearing black was a way to show who you were.
Fans cheered for New Zealand because the All Blacks represented something different. Even though New Zealand had its own internal struggles with how they treated Māori players, they eventually became a global symbol of standing up against apartheid.
The real truth is simple: people didn't just love the All Blacks because they played amazing rugby; they loved them because they were the exact opposite of the apartheid Springbok team.
The inheritance of emotion
But you might wonder, why do people still hold onto this love so tightly today? After all, we live in a democratic South Africa now, and our Springbok team under Siya Kolisi is inclusive, transformed, and loved all over the world as a beautiful symbol of unity.
The truth is that choosing a rugby team isn't something you do with just your brain. It comes straight from the heart. It’s the kind of love you absorb at the kitchen table, inherit from your dad or grandfather, and lock into your soul when you’re just a kid.
Groups like the official Cape Town All Blacks Supporters Club show us exactly how this works. What started years ago as a loud political protest on the streets has turned into something deeply personal inside the home.
Today, it’s a living, breathing way to stay connected to the parents and grandparents who passed those traditions down to us.
For a young fan in Cape Town today, supporting the All Blacks isn’t about being anti-South African or unpatriotic.
It is simply a beautiful way to remember the past. It’s about remembering a late uncle, or a grandfather who used to huddle around an old radio to catch a faint, forbidden broadcast of a New Zealand match during the tough years.
Or maybe it’s just remembering the magic of watching Jonah Lomu sprint past defenders when you were a kid.
There is also something incredibly special about how New Zealand plays rugby. The famous all-black jersey, the silver fern, and the powerful, rhythmic energy of the haka command a lot of respect.
It shows a mix of pride, deep tradition, and humility that people love. Once a sports culture gets tied to warm family memories like that, it stays with you for life.
A multi-layered patriotism
Even Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus gets it. He has openly said there is nothing strange about South Africans supporting other countries. He respects that while some people support New Zealand because of past political history, others simply love their world-class style of rugby.
The big takeaway here is simple: you do not have to hate the Springboks to love the All Blacks. Plenty of modern fans happily cheer for both.
vuyile.madwantsi@nationalmg.co.za