All Blacks supporter legally changes name from Winston Small to Winitana Mororiki

A lifelong All Blacks supporter from South Africa has legally changed his name from Winston Small to Winitana Mororiki as a lasting expression of his allegiance to New Zealand rugby.

The 31-year-old, from the Western Cape, was among a group of local New Zealand supporters who welcomed the All Blacks to Cape Town on 31 July for the Greatest Rivalry tour. The group, known as the “Cape Crusaders”, gathered to greet the team on their arrival.

Mororiki, who plays club rugby for Roses Unity under the Boland Rugby Union, said his support for New Zealand was rooted in his family and had been part of his life since childhood.

“I’ve been a huge New Zealand supporter since I was a child. My parents were both full-blooded New Zealand supporters,” he explained.

His change of name was therefore not the result of a recent attachment to the team. Instead, it was a permanent statement of a loyalty he says was passed down through his family.

The decision also carries an unusual family twist. His father, Willie Small, ended his support for the All Blacks in 2024 after accepting a position on SA Rugby’s executive council. While he had brought up his son as a committed New Zealand supporter, he now works within the organisation responsible for South African rugby and the Springboks.

Mororiki’s story has a striking connection with the name of All Blacks rival Du’Plessis Kirifi.

The New Zealand loose forward, who plays for the Hurricanes, was named after former Springbok captain Morne du Plessis. Kirifi’s father, Jack Kirifi, had become friends with the South African rugby great and admired his name enough to adapt it for his son. He added an apostrophe as a stylistic touch.

Kirifi has previously said he is probably the only Du’Plessis he knows, whether the name is written with an apostrophe or without one. The unusual name has also created regular pronunciation difficulties.

Among his Hurricanes team-mates, Kirifi is more commonly called “Dupy” or “Dupes”.

The two stories offer a curious reflection of the long-running relationship between South African and New Zealand rugby. One South African supporter has adopted a Maori name to express his devotion to the All Blacks, while a New Zealand player carries a name inspired by one of South Africa’s most prominent rugby figures.

Their experiences show how the rivalry between the All Blacks and the Springboks can produce connections that extend beyond the field. For Mororiki, changing his name made his support for New Zealand a permanent part of his identity. For Kirifi, a famous South African rugby name remains part of his own.