Willie Jackson’s two rugby Facebook posts reach a staggering 7.8 million (mostly irate) fans

Willie Jackson's two Facebook posts attracted millions.

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Labour MP Willie Jackson has found a new niche calling - rarking up South African fans about their Rugby World Cup final victory.

Jackson posted on social media that the better side lost the final in the Stade de France last month when the All Blacks came up short in a 12-11 win for the Springboks. He then posted that the England women’s team were better than the Black Ferns and should have won last year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Jackson’s two Facebook posts have attracted reactions from all over the world, millions of views and thousands of comments.

His first post attracted 75,000 likes or emojis, 62,000 comments, 18,500 shares and had a total reach of a staggering 6.4 million people.

A second, a few days later, received 16,000 likes, 14,000 comments, 1000 shares and a reach of 1.4 million.

He said a “normal” political post would attract around 2000 to 3000 views and about 200 comments.

The All Blacks lost a close match in the Rugby World Cup final in October. Photo / Andrew Cornaga, photosport.nz

“I was shocked, to be honest,” Jackson told the Herald of the huge audience his two posts attracted.

“It looked like half of South Africa were commentating. There was nothing I could compare the response and then the reach to.

“The Facebook people said I had struck an algorithm that just took the post global.”

Jackson said he knew he had hit a raw South African nerve when he was receiving a comment a second.

“We had to turn the comments off because they were just coming in thick and fast.

“Some of the comments were from die-hard South African rugby fans who obviously didn’t like me pointing out the obvious - the best team lost the Rugby World Cup final, and didn’t mind telling me in language not fit for the Herald,” Jackson said.

“I did acknowledge South Africa are the most successful World Cup team but the All Blacks are the greatest team in history - the stats back that up.”

Jackson said his second post about the England women’s rugby team being the better side but, like the All Blacks, playing with just 14 players, was to again highlight how the best teams don’t always take the prize.

“That just gave the already irate South Africans more anger to pile in over but it was a bit more reasoned.”

Jackson, who has watched rugby for more than 50 years and been broadcasting for more than three decades, said rugby was in his whakapapa.

His grandfather Everard Jackson was in the All Black team who played South Africa in 1937.

“I have been on many rugby tours and also covered the New Zealand Māori tours overseas, so I do know what I’m talking about as far as sport goes.”

Jackson said he will continue to call sport as he sees it.

Joseph Los’e joined NZME in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori Editor. Los’e was a chief reporter, news director at the Sunday News newspaper covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and prior to joining NZME worked for 12 years for Te Whānau o Waipareira.