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Tonga fans parade through central Auckland, dance on public transport after win over Kangaroos

November 4, 2019

The actions of Tonga's supporters got the TVNZ 1 Breakfast crew thinking about the reserved nature of NZ sports fans.

Videos of Tongan rugby league supporters celebrating in Auckland have begun to surface after Saturday's historic 16-12 win over the Kangaroos.

After the win at Eden Park - Australia's first loss to a tier-two nation - supporters showed their pride in any way they could.

That included fireworks and a parade in central Auckland as well as performances on public transport.

The celebrations got TVNZ1's Breakfast crew talking with John Campbell highlighting a past experience from the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand when fans were just as lively.

"In the 2011 Rugby World Cup, I was at the airport when their team arrived and it was the most extraordinary scene - they hadn't even played a game yet and there was hysteria, like the Beatles were in town."

Campbell then brought the conversation forward to this year's World Cup and referred to winning Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus' speech where he said rugby wasn't pressure in South Africa - having no job or a dead relative was.

The Breakfast presenter then asked his colleagues if we've begun taking rugby, and sport in general, too seriously and need to find the joy like what Tongan supporters have.

"When you go to Eden Park, joy is not an emotion you feel when you go to watch the All Blacks play," Campbell said.

"You feel relief when they win but have we got it wrong?"

Campbell co-host Hayley Holt agreed, saying perhaps New Zealand fans were "too cool" to celebrate in such ways.

Breakfast news presenter Jenny May Clarkson added that she believes there's other emotions involved for Kiwi supporters as well.

"I think part of it is fear," Clarkson said.

"I think there's a bit of fear for Kiwi fans when it comes to sport about losing because we have high expectations."

Kiwi fans had a rough year in the sporting realm with both the Black Caps and All Blacks coming up short in their respective World Cup campaigns.

There was some reprieve though with the Silver Ferns winning their first World Cup since 2003.

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