Cam Roigard's Diving Antics Called Out After Springboks Beat All Blacks 29-24 in Soweto
- All Blacks scrumhalf Cam Roigard drew sharp criticism after appearing to simulate injury during the third Greatest Rivalry Test in Soweto
- Former Springbok captain Jean de Villiers publicly called out the behaviour during a post-match interview on SuperSport
- It was not the first time Roigard faced scrutiny for similar conduct, with a comparable incident occurring during a Super Rugby semi-final earlier in 2026
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A moment of controversy involving All Blacks scrumhalf Cam Roigard has dominated the post-match conversation after New Zealand's 29-24 defeat to the Springboks in the third Greatest Rivalry Test at Soweto's Calabash Stadium on Saturday, 5 September 2026.
The incident unfolded shortly after the Springboks were awarded a penalty try following a dominant second-half scrum. As the dust settled, Roigard grabbed hold of Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, who responded by flipping him over.
Roigard immediately fell to the ground clutching his head, despite television replays showing that his head never made contact with the surface. Referee Nika Amashukeli, after reviewing the footage with his officiating team, awarded New Zealand a penalty restart.
De Villiers calls out the theatrics
Speaking on SuperSport after the final whistle, former Springbok captain Jean de Villiers did not hold back in his assessment of the scrumhalf's conduct.
"A lot has been said about gamesmanship, and I will call it out there," De Villiers said.
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"This game of ours is a pride one. Diving. Yes, [Reinach] kind of ripped him backwards, but it was certainly not a tip-tackle. A penalty at most."
The criticism struck a chord with rugby supporters, many of whom noted that Roigard's theatrics were more reminiscent of football than rugby union.
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Not the first time
This was not an isolated incident for the New Zealand number nine. During a Super Rugby semi-final between the Hurricanes and the Blues earlier in 2026, Roigard went to ground while catching a high ball. Blues players assumed he required medical attention, but Roigard immediately rose and took a tap kick from the resulting penalty, catching the opposition entirely off guard.
The Springboks' 29-24 victory secured a crucial win in the Greatest Rivalry series, setting up a fourth Test in Baltimore. Despite the on-field drama, South Africa's dominant scrum play and penalty try remained central to their winning performance.
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Source: Briefly News
