SA Rugby pursues legal action after Kiwi fans locked out of Cape Town test
South Africa Rugby has announced it will take legal action against travel agencies it says sold tickets they never had, leaving dozens of New Zealand fans unable to enter DHL Stadium for Saturday's second test in Cape Town.
The Springboks won the match 33-26, levelling the four-test Greatest Rivalry series at one apiece.
RNZ Sport reported that one frustrated fan posted on social media about the situation, describing how nearly two-thirds of an 80-strong tour group were turned away despite having paid for match access.
The post claimed the stadium had been oversubscribed by somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000 tickets. Fans were furious.
What SA Rugby says happened
In a formal statement, SA Rugby firmly rejected suggestions it was responsible for the debacle. Travel agencies, the union said, sold the promise of tickets they did not hold and could never have obtained, acting in breach of the event's terms and conditions.
Those agencies had never been granted access to tickets by the union or its authorised ticketing partner.
SA Rugby described the agencies' conduct as illegal and reckless, carried out purely for commercial gain at supporters' expense, according to reporting by the NZ Herald. The union confirmed it had referred the matter to its lawyers and would seek legal redress.
About 62,000 people packed DHL Stadium for the match, per the NZ Herald.
That turnout contrasted sharply with the provincial fixtures earlier in the tour, where fewer than 15,000 fans attended the All Blacks' game against the Sharks at Kings Park Stadium in Durban, and large sections of empty seating were visible at matches against the Stormers, Lions, and Bulls.
On the field: Springboks level the series
The ticketing controversy overshadowed a hard-fought test. South Africa came from behind to win by seven points and square the series, after the All Blacks had taken the opener 33-16 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The Boks refused to blink.
Despite New Zealand holding possession for close to two-thirds of the match, RNZ Sport reported that the Springboks' defence far outworked the All Blacks, completing 188 tackles to 122.
Cheslin Kolbe, the South African wing, contributed 18 points through four penalty goals and three conversions and proved decisive.
Referee oversight during the series has also attracted attention (see our coverage of World Rugby reins in TMO as referee reclaims match control in All Blacks test).
Third test tickets still available
With the series level heading into the third match in Johannesburg, tickets for FNB Stadium remain on sale.
The NZ Herald reported that the cheapest available seats are priced at ZAR1,650 (roughly NZ$172), with premium options still available at up to ZAR4,000 (around NZ$418). Buyers should go direct.
The third test kicks off at 3.10am NZT on September 6, before both sides travel to Baltimore, Maryland for the fourth and final match of the tour.