Rugby World Cup: cheers, flags and selfies… All Blacks crowd in Bordeaux

There was Fiji in Saint-Etienne, beating Australia in a packed stadium and supporting their cause. This World Cup now features the All Blacks in Bordeaux. On Monday, Ian Foster’s men were able to test their popularity and during training they became the new darlings of the Chaban-Delmas stadium.

Arriving in the Gironde this Monday to continue preparations for their next group match against Italy on September 29, the New Zealanders took advantage of a real crowd. Their first training attracted about 10,000 people. “A huge thank you to the 10,000 fans who came to our open training session in Bordeaux today. Your love and support means everything,” we read on the team’s social networks with supporting photos.

There we see furnished stands with the New Zealand flag flying above them. At the end of the training session, the visibly delighted players took selfies and other photographs in front of the fans. In images posted on social media, we even see them begin to “clap” the audience.

Having suffered a 27-13 defeat in their opening match against France’s XV, suffering their first ever World Cup group stage setback, the New Zealanders quickly bounced back. This Friday, September 15, in Toulouse, the “blacks” defeated Namibia with a score of 71:3. In particular, they made 11 attempts.

They are currently second in Group A (5 points), behind France (8 points), who narrowly beat the Uruguayans (27-12) on Thursday night. A win against Italy would take New Zealand a big step towards reaching the quarter-finals of this World Cup.