Rassie Erasmus Calls on Springbok Fans to Stay Silent During All Blacks Haka in Cape Town
- Rassie Erasmus has asked Springbok supporters to remain silent during the All Blacks haka ahead of the second Test in Cape Town
- At Ellis Park the previous week, a crowd of 60,000 complied with a similar request, abandoning the traditional 'Olé' chant
- Erasmus defended his stance publicly, saying making noise during the haka would be 'stupid'
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Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has renewed his call for fans to observe silence during the All Blacks haka ahead of the second Test match in Cape Town, following a similar appeal before last Saturday's clash at Ellis Park.
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At Ellis Park, approximately 60,000 supporters complied with the request, creating an atmosphere that stood in stark contrast to previous encounters, where chants of "Olé! Olé! Olé!" would routinely drown out the traditional Māori challenge.
Erasmus defends his stance
Speaking ahead of the Cape Town fixture, Erasmus was blunt about his position on how fans should respond to the haka.
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"If you're going to make a noise while they do it, it's just stupid," he said.
The coach had previously indicated that the haka holds no direct bearing on what happens once the match kicks off, a view he appears to hold firmly as he encourages supporters to show restraint rather than rivalry in those pre-match moments.
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A shift in Springbok fan tradition
The request marks a notable departure from long-standing crowd behaviour at South Africa versus New Zealand Tests. For years, the "Olé" chant served as the default South African response to the haka, used to signal defiance and crowd energy before the opening whistle.
Erasmus's intervention has effectively asked fans to set that tradition aside, at least for the duration of this series. Whether supporters in Cape Town will once again follow his lead remains to be seen, with the city's crowd known for its vocal and passionate backing of the Springboks.
The debate around fan conduct during the haka has drawn wide interest in South African rugby circles, with opinions divided between those who view silence as a mark of respect and those who believe drowning out the challenge is part of the theatre of Test rugby.
All Blacks hit by flu outbreak
Briefly News previously reported that a flu-like illness spread through the All Blacks squad days before their second Test against the Springboks at DHL Stadium
New Zealand assistant coach Neil Barnes confirmed the bug had affected multiple members of the touring party ahead of Saturday's match
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Source: Briefly News
