The support for the All Blacks isn't just in the stands. Photo / Supplied
The support for the All Blacks isn't just in the stands. Photo / Supplied
French supporters trying to ruffle a few feathers on the All Blacks' Facebook page are fighting a losing battle against the hundreds of thousands of fans showing their support.
The All Blacks' page on the social networking site now boasts more than 1.2 million "likes" - 185,000 more than whenthe Rugby World Cup kicked off last month.
Among the messages of support and photos of babies decked out in black is a minority French presence seeking to demoralise the fans with catch-calls like, "Allez les Bleus!"
But All Blacks supporters don't seem to be taking the bait, either ignoring the comments or responding politely.
"Non...non..non... not this time my French friend," one supporter wrote.
Among the fans leaving messages of support were the Warriors, Green Party, and Upper Hutt City council - which posted a photo of staff decked out in black and holding a sign reading, "Go Cory, Upper Hutt's favourite son."
New Zealand Rugby Union spokesman Nick Brown said the huge public support had buoyed the All Blacks.
Facebook was an important way for fans around the world to connect with their team, he said.
There had also been a surge of support at home, with about 278,000 fans New Zealand-based - 100,000 more than when the tournament started.
The All Blacks Twitter account was also humming along, with the number of followers almost doubling to 65,000 since the World Cup began.
