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Bok fans 'least hospitable, least friendly and most whinging'

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 04: Fans of South Africa cheer during The Rugby Championship match between South Africa Springboks and Argentina at Allianz Stadium on October 04, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

West Country-based TV presenter Nick Knowles has hit back on X after a Springbok supporter account slated English sports fans.

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Knowles, a regular at rugby matches, is best-known for fronting the popular TV show DIY SOS as well as appearing on Celebrity Strictly Come Dancing, but he’s no stranger to courting controversy with his forthright opinions on rugby on social media.

During Rugby World Cup 2023, Knowles once described the refereeing of one match as “grotesque” and he’s previously slated the officiating of Nigel Owens.

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Responding to the Scrumming flyhalf account’s post about international sports teams with the worst fans, which listed England cricket at number one, Ireland rugby second and England football and rugby, third and fourth, Knowles said: “As an England fan I realise that our fans can be really irritating but I have to say that I have travelled the world to watch rugby, where all the nations get along with banter – always, the least hospitable, the least friendly and the most whinging fans to be sat with are the South Africans.”

Knowles’ jab has inevitably kicked off the usual back-and-forth online, with Springbok supporters firing back. None of it is likely to change anyone’s view of anyone else, but it does add another log to the never-ending bonfire of cross-hemisphere fan rivalry that lights up social media after every big Bok Test these days.

The exchange comes as Bok fans bask in the glory of their team’s 24-13 win over Ireland in Dublin – a result that ended a 13-year wait for a Springbok victory at the Aviva.

Rassie Erasmus’ side dominated the scrum and breakdown and survived a late Irish fightback to take the second half on the scoreboard. Ireland’s constant ill discipline [which saw them ship four yellow cards and a red card] fed into an increasingly terse contest, with repeated flashpoints between players adding an edge to what was already an abrasive Test match.

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Comments

23 Comments
N
Nigel Nicholas 12 days ago

As a Fijian I respect the boks and also the English,it makes the game more interesting and intense when you can feel the fans glaring down on you.It gives that “bring it on vibe”

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R 13 days ago

Hmmm…. I'm a very big Springbok supporter, I wear the colours on every game day. I live in England where my children are now, but I so detest the English rugby team, I can't help being ugly about it. Other teams don't bother me. Maybe I need to see a phycologist?

T
Tommy B 13 days ago

Yes - I think you probably do.

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DS 13 days ago

The most comforting bit of this whole non-story is that if you have to employ a ‘TV star’ like Knowles to make a comment about the Bok supporters then you really are scraping the barrel. A bit like having Gallan as one of your writers, who seems to have been brought in to reveal his hatred of his birth country by trying to stir things up by spewing a load of kak.

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TC 13 days ago

As a die hard bok fanatic I’m afraid I agree. My countrymen can be quite abrasive and graceless in victory and whiny in defeat. Sorry about that. I understand the gripe. Personally I find the All Blacks supporters to be the best. The poms can be gits, but at least they are funny.

J
JC 13 days ago

Hear, hear! When that great NZ team from 2009-2017 were annihilating teams, had total domination and were a monolith of a target. Their fans carried themselves with decorum, dignity, humbleness and class in the main. The same absolutely cannot be said in this case. Scroll through the comments on any given article ……

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Boddasaffa 13 days ago

Is it not funny that you have a Pom whinging about other countries fans, stop talking about everyone else and there won’t be whinging, or just start wining convincingly then you don’t really need to say anything just smile,

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Skidders 13 days ago

Why don’t you take some of your own advice

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Hammer Head 13 days ago

The commentators can’t target the springboks very much anymore for clicks I’m guessing.

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RugCs 13 days ago

Newcombe seems a bit salty 👍 👍

B
Bazzallina 13 days ago

Yea maybe but they bloody winning all the time so we can’t say diddley bout it! and unfortunately future looks rosy to! most of their players not only good but are good sorts their coach does weird stuff and we want it to bite him in the bum but he keeps bloody winning it sux

L
LC 13 days ago

My experience is that just about every country is made up of genuinely awesome people that would be great to watch a game with and a small noisy bunch of people we’d all like to export to England… 😂😂

M
Mike Gibson 13 days ago

Majority of South Africans are genuine and sound. However, its fair to say that their dodgy ‘minority’ is a lot lot bigger and a lot lot more nut case-y than other countries’.

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Hammer Head 13 days ago

Bizarre comment. I’ve never seen water canons being used on South African sports fans getting out of hand outside and within stadiums, stabbing, looting etc.

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CM 13 days ago

It stems from the insecurity of living in another country which isnt ones own. At least thats the opinion of a South African I have spoken to, so hey, dont hurt me.

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Whatever 13 days ago

Not quite sure I understand what you mean? South Africans living in England or Ireland?

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Mike Gibson 13 days ago

By South African Rugby Supporters in this article and here we are more or less referring to white South Africans? (i.e. insecurity of living in another country which isn’t ones own).

D
Damodeb 13 days ago

👍👍

s
snacky 13 days ago

A pot calls a kettle black sometimes I guess. I bet almost every tier one rugby nation’s fan whinge a tonne. And for hospitality, that’s ultimately subjective unless there’s some laws or rules that I’ve not come across yet.

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Mike Gibson 13 days ago

No they really don’t. Most rugby nations are polite to each other. Speaking of Europe, there are national prejudices of course but by and large its friendly and fun.


BTW Your comment is exactly what he is talking about. Of course the view is going to be subjective, anecdotal and hearsay. But that doesn’t make the conversation invalid.

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