The empty seats during the Springbok match at Wembley Stadium have left fans with mixed feelings.
This past weekend, the Springboks played their first match of the Autumn Nations Series at Wembley Stadium in London. Here, they took on a determined Japanese team led by coach Eddie Jones, who was determined to prove that they have what it takes to overcome the number one team in the world.
Given how successful the attendance was the last time the Springboks played at Twickenham Stadium, a stone’s throw away from Wembley, most assumed that the event would be well attended, but this was far from the case.
Video footage throughout the match showed thousands of empty seats, particularly in the second and third tiers of the stadium.
@cpt_photobender #Springboks vs #Japan #wembleystadium #fyp @SA Rugby Mag @SARugby @sarugby @Bokke2025 ♬ Legends Are Made – Sam Tinnesz
Taking to social media, this became a big topic of discussion, particularly given the fact that the United Kingdom has a large percentage of South African expats.
According to the latest census, 220,000 South African expats live in the UK.
Disappointed by the poor attendance, one fan noted that this should motivate national teams to either play at their home stadiums or the opponent’s stadium.
The fan further noted that the poor attendance could have also been influenced by the fact that the home team England, played against Australia in Twickenham.
“Scheduling high-profile matches that overlap each other, on purpose? Wembley is basically empty when any stadium in SA or Japan would have been full.”
Others had their say.
Wembley empty as hell. Serves SARU right for playing a Springbok home game in London for no reason whatsoever outside of money.
— 702 Black (@702Black_) November 1, 2025
Another added:
Why the heck is Wembley so empty??
Where are all the London Saffas? 😮
— Darren (@SaffasRugby) November 1, 2025
Also see: Rassie Erasmus Revisits Brighton Miracle as Springboks Prepare for Japan
