Former All Blacks star receiving death threats from Bok supporters

· The South African

Former All Blacks player Lima Sopoaga has revealed that he has been receiving death threats from Springbok supporters following his commentary on the Greatest Rivalry series

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The retired player is currently in South Africa to watch the rugby rivals play at Ellis Park on Saturday, 22 August.

Lima made his international debut for New Zealand in Johannesburg in 2015. In 2023, he qualified to play for Samoa through ancestry.

ALL BLACKS PLAYER RECEIVING DEATH THREATS  FROM SPRINGBOK SUPPORTERS

On his social media account, former All Black Lima Sopoaga revealed that he had been on the receiving end of nasty comments, particularly from South African supporters.

He posted: “Hey guys, just remember it’s just a game. Some of you in my DMs, sending death threats and abusing the crap out of me because I said I want my team to win 2-1 in SA. I love a bit of banter and back-and-forth. But come on now, it’s not that deep”

During the Greatest Rivalry series taking place in South Africa,  Lima has been sharing commentary about the All Blacks’ matches against provincial teams like the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls.

Like many rugby fans, he is particularly excited about the test match clash between the Kiwis and the Springboks, set to take place at Ellis Park.

Lima Sopoaga made his international debut for the All Blacks at the same stadium on 25 July 2015.

At the time, he was just 24 years old and was selected at No. 10 ahead of Beauden Barrett.

Lima played his last game for New Zealand in 2017 after signing to play club rugby in England.

Due to the selection policy, overseas-based players are not typically selected to represent the country. Fast forward to 2023, Lima Sopoaga swapped his All Blacks jersey for a Samoa jersey, thanks to his ancestry eligibility.

ELLIS PARK EXPERIENCE

It’s not the first frosty experience Lima Sopoaga has had in South Africa.

In 2015, he received a “hostile” reception from Springbok supporters when he made his All Blacks debut.

The New Zealand team won the match 27-20.

Lima said of the experience: “The whole day was surreal to be honest, it went by in a flash and felt like I’d played the game before it happened. 

“On the way to the stadium, there were little kids throwing stuff at the bus and doing throat-cutting gestures. Old people were giving us the finger and yelling swear words, but playing in black was my dream come true”.

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