Springboks Honour 9/11 Victims in the USA, South Africans React With Anger
- The Springboks paused ahead of their All Blacks clash in Baltimore to observe a moment of silence for 9/11 victims on the 25th anniversary of the attacks
- SABC US correspondent Sherwin Bryce-Pease shared the video of the team huddle, which quickly went viral on social media
- South African fans pushed back hard, questioning why the team does not show the same solidarity for tragedies at home
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The Springboks found themselves at the centre of a heated online debate after a short video of the team honouring 9/11 victims spread rapidly across social media on Friday, 11 September 2026.
SABC US correspondent Sherwin Bryce-Pease captured the moment and posted it to X, showing the players gathered in a huddle for a moment of silence in observance of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The clip drew hundreds of thousands of views within hours.
Watch the Springboks' 9/11 tribute huddle in Baltimore
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Why the Boks were in Baltimore
The team is in Baltimore preparing for the fourth and final Test against the All Blacks at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday, 12 September. South Africa leads the four-Test series 2–1, making the decider a high-stakes encounter. It is also the first time the two rugby giants have faced each other in Baltimore, with a massive crowd expected at the stadium.
The tribute came as the United States held remembrance ceremonies across the country, including at Ground Zero in New York, the Pentagon in Virginia, and the Flight 93 memorial in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the coordinated terrorist attacks in 2001. The Springboks' gesture was widely seen as a show of respect for their host nation.
South Africans push back
Not everyone at home viewed the tribute warmly. Many South African fans felt the team should direct the same energy towards tragedies and struggles within South Africa itself, and said so loudly online.
@Zelwande_K wrote:
"Yho bayaphapha oSiya shame. Bangenaphi? Zange zange bayenza ke lento apha" [Siya and the guys are overstepping. Where do they get off? They have never done this sort of thing here at home]
@Cleo_Mo_ simply asked:
"Do the Springboks know about this?"
@kgotso_malefo said:
"Nonsense. They don't do this for any of the painful things that have happened in their own country"
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Source: Briefly News
