Supporting the enemy
South African All Blacks fandom and the politics of belonging
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24230343 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Zakaia Cvitanovich (0000-0003-1489-9902, School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education, University of New England) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 1036-1050 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-04 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Culture Sport Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1461-0981 • E-ISSN: 1743-0445 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/17430437.2026.2668296 |
| OpenAlex | W7161550059 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 5 |
Supporting a sports team is a regular occurrence. We find an association with a team we have some connection with. Whether it is a team from our hometown or somewhere we have lived, there is a connection that drives us to wave the flag or wear their colours. But why do large numbers of South Africans support New Zealand rugby, often over their own national team, the Springboks? Drawing on two small online surveys of rugby supporters (n = 66) conducted across three Facebook rugby union groups, this article examines South African support for the All Blacks and New Zealand rugby. Combining social identity theory with accounts of basking in reflected glory (BIRG), consumer culture, and postcolonial sport, the study finds that political opposition to apartheid instigated identification with New Zealand, but that loyalty now is primarily driven by style of play; family socialisation; the tradition of success; team culture; and characteristics such as humility, mana, and ritual (e.g., the haka). This article discusses claims about New Zealand’s complicity with apartheid, the racial composition of New Zealand rugby, and the politics of memory, arguing that present-day fandom cannot be reduced to a simple historical grievance. The article contributes to scholarship on transnational spectatorship, national identity, and the political afterlives of rugby in the Southern Hemisphere and closes with implications for unions, media, and supporter governance.
Consumerism · haka · mana · memory politics · National identity · New Zealand All Blacks · politics of belonging · Social identity theory · springbok · Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification · Physical Education and Sports Studies · Sports, Gender, and Society
| Highly cited | No |
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