Bok fans blow vuvuzelas

Auckland - The International Rugby Board (IRB) may have banned vuvuzelas from Rugby World Cup matches, but that has not stopped Springbok fans from blowing them outside stadiums.

Bok supporter Sue Surjupersad said before South Africa's Pool D match against Namibia in Auckland on Thursday that they were used to being isolated to parking lots when trumpeting the monotone instruments.

"We are a bit grumpy that we are not allowed to take them inside with us, but anyway, vuvuzelas aren't allowed at the rugby in South Africa too, so it is not a big deal," Surjupersad said.

SA teams are accustomed to having a strong support base at the North Harbour stadium due to the great number of expatriots that reside in the area.

Having recently celebrated her fifth year as an Auckland resident, Surjupersad said she had not lost her passion for the Springboks, and expected the title holders to trump their Southern African neighbours.

"Absolutely they will win, without a doubt," she said.

The match was expected to be the easiest for the Springboks in the group stages, and fewer fans flocked to the game than those who did for their opener against Wales and their second outing against Fiji, both played in Wellington.

Quite understandably, there were even fewer Namibian fans at the ground in support of the minnows - perhaps set to make it the only game of the tournament in which SA supporters outnumbered their opposition.

Surjupersad would not go as far as predicting the final score, and while she was holding thumbs for the Boks to notch up their third win of the tournament, she hoped the Namibians would not be given a thumping by the defending champions.

"I feel sorry for Namibia, and anyway, we are not like Kiwis," she said.

"We don't want them to win by 100 points, so if they just have a good enough show it will be good enough for me."