World Rugby stance emerges after ‘dangerous’ Springboks flyover sparks backlash

The spectacular stunt took place shortly before the Springboks and All Blacks kicked off at a packed DHL Stadium, with an Airlink passenger aircraft swooping remarkably close to the roof.

Footage quickly went viral, while flight data subsequently suggested the aircraft cleared the stadium by little more than 12 metres at its lowest point.

RUCK understands the incident has been discussed internally at World Rugby, although there is currently no suggestion that a formal investigation has been launched.

Sources have indicated that the governing body would prefer to stay out of the growing backlash, particularly given the flyover was approved by the relevant South African aviation authorities.

World Rugby has therefore made no public statement on the incident at the time of writing.

Airlink has defended the stunt, insisting extensive planning went into the operation and that it was conducted within approved safety parameters.

The airline said the flypast was carried out with the approval and support of the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) and Air Traffic Navigation Services.

Despite those assurances, the extraordinarily low altitude has sparked debate within the aviation community.

Chris Martinus, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association South Africa, described the manoeuvre as “a little unwise”, with concerns centred on the limited margin available should the aircraft have suffered a technical problem.

Flightradar24 data suggested the plane passed just 41–46 feet (around 12.5–14 metres) above the stadium structure.

For now, World Rugby appears unlikely to publicly enter the debate, despite the incident having attracted considerable international attention.

The governing body has not announced an investigation or suggested any regulations were breached.

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