Gayton McKenzie – who has dubbed himself the “Minister of Enjoyment” – has shared video clips of his trip to France to watch the Springboks play and meet South African expats.
The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture has also praised captain Siya Kolisi and called out French rugby supporters for their hostile attitude.
The Boks beat Les Bleus 32-17 at the Stade de France on Saturday, 8 November.
GAYTON MCKENZIE MEETS SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY FANS
In clips posted on his X account, Gayton McKenzie shared how he had bumped into a group of South African Springbok supporters in a French bar ahead of the match.
The minister laughed and joked with the staunch rugby fans, who donned green and gold.
“We were in jail together”, one supporter jokingly told Gayton, who laughed it off.
He captioned the clip: “It was like being home, the vibe and gees was amazing”.
In another clip, he added: “Got to love South Africans”
FRENCH FANS BOOING THE BOKS
Gayton McKenzie also used his platform to call out French fans for booing the Springboks during the match.
However, the minister conceded that the French had shown respect to captain Siya Kolisi, who celebrated his 100th test cap.
Siya had a short stint at the Paris club Racing 92 before returning to South Africa to his home club at the Sharks.
Gayton said of the rugby hero: “What a man, what a captain, how lucky we are to witness back-to-back World Cup victories under his leadership”.
Predicting another Rugby World Cup win, he added: “He has many firsts, but he will be the first to lift the Webb Ellis Cup three times in a row. We salute you for the work you do for SA on and off the field”.
