{"id":844103,"date":"2026-08-05T06:44:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T06:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/844103\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T06:44:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T06:44:13","slug":"all-blacks-crusaders-rugby-stars-targeted-by-fake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/844103\/","title":{"rendered":"All Blacks, Crusaders rugby stars targeted by fake\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

AAP FACTCHECK – New Zealand rugby union fans are being targeted by foreign-run Facebook pages spreading fake news stories about their teams.<\/p>\n

The page Iron Cavalry regularly posts fabricated stories about the All Blacks and Super Rugby Pacific team, the Crusaders.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The posts encourage readers to click on links to suspicious websites and Facebook transparency data shows it is run by users in Vietnam and Canada.<\/p>\n

The Crusaders confirmed the stories posted by the page are false.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One post<\/a> suggests New Zealand skipper Ardie Savea made a major career announcement after signing a $6 million contract.<\/p>\n

“BREAKING NEWS: \u201cNo, I’m leaving\u201d \u2014 \u0410.l.l \u0412.l.\u0430.\u0441.k.\u0455 superstar Ardie Savea has stunned the rugby world by signing a $6 million long-term contract extension with\u2026” the post reads.<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot
\n Despite claims online, Ardie Savea has committed to NZ Rugby until 2027. (Facebook\/AAP)<\/p>\n

But while the caption appeared to suggest the number eight was leaving the All Blacks, a linked article<\/a> claimed he was staying with the team and “leaving behind mo\u043fths of speculation\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A Google search returns no credible reports of the supposed $6 million contract extension and no such announcement appears on the NZ Rugby website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While Savea will miss the warm-up games during New Zealand’s upcoming tour of South Africa, All Black’s head coach David Rennie said he was being rested and would play all four tests against the Springboks, according to RNZ<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The star is a free agent in the Pasifika Super Rugby league after NZ Rugby wound up the Moana franchise.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He appears likely to join the Auckland-based Blues rugby team as his All Blacks contract<\/a> requires him to play club rugby in New Zealand in 2027, according to The Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Another post<\/a> on July 16 claims former Black Sticks hockey player Gemma McCaw, the wife of former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, was critically injured in a car crash that day.<\/p>\n

“BREAKING NEWS: Deep concern has spread throughout the international rugby community following alarming reports that Gemma McCaw, the wife of All Blacks legend Richie McCaw, is in critical condition,” the caption reads.<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot
\n One fake story used an image of a car crash that is available to buy from a stock photo website. (Facebook\/AAP)<\/p>\n

The claim is false. A Google search returns no credible reports of such an accident.<\/p>\n

The original post includes an image of a badly damaged car.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, a Google reverse image search shows the photo is a Shutterstock stock image<\/a> from 2017.<\/p>\n

Neither Richie nor Gemma McCaw have made any announcements on social media about the alleged car accident.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Instead, Gemma McCaw posted to her Instagram account<\/a> on July 23 – a week after the supposed crash – saying she had spent “The most amazing week in Fiji” with her family.<\/p>\n

Another post<\/a> on the Iron Cavalry Facebook page claims former All Blacks five-eighth Dan Carter recently had a baby, alongside an image that purports to show Carter holding a newborn wrapped in a pink blanket.<\/p>\n

“DAN CARTER IS A FATHER AGAIN \u2013 AND THE BABY’S NAME IS MELTING HEARTS!” the caption reads.<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot
\n Fake posts show NZ rugby union great Dan Carter and England star Declan Rice with the same baby. (Facebook\/AAP)<\/p>\n

The claim is fabricated and there are no credible news reports indicating the 44-year-old two-time world rugby champion had a child in July 2026.<\/p>\n

According to the New Zealand Herald<\/a>, Carter and his wife, Honor, had their fourth child in June 2021.<\/p>\n

AAP FactCheck found near-identical claims by other Facebook disinformation pages that appear to show other sports stars holding the same baby.<\/p>\n

Another post<\/a> claims the Crusaders Super Rugby team plan to transform their home ground into a $3.8 billion stadium complex, complete with a new luxury hotel and entertainment district.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It includes an image of the supposed multi-billion dollar development.<\/p>\n

The claim is fabricated and the Crusaders don’t have public plans for a major stadium upgrade.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot
\n A false post about a new Crusaders stadium features an image of a venue in the US city of Seattle. (Facebook\/AAP)<\/p>\n

The image of the supposed new stadium appears to have been generated using artificial intelligence (AI) and the background appears to show the skyline of Seattle<\/a> in the US, not the Crusaders\u2019 home city of Christchurch, New Zealand.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The rugby club only moved into their new home ground, the $656 million One New Zealand Stadium<\/a> in Christchurch, in April 2026, as reported by Reuters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A Crusaders spokesperson said it was aware of disinformation pages targeting the club on Facebook and urged fans to report them.<\/p>\n

“Pages like Iron Cavalry only post completely made-up information,” the spokesperson told AAP FactCheck.<\/p>\n

“We urge people to report this page and regard the content they see published from this page as inaccurate and misleading.”<\/p>\n

AAP FactCheck is an accredited member of the International Fact-Checking Network<\/a>. To keep up with our latest fact checks, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, Threads<\/a>, X<\/a>, BlueSky<\/a>, TikTok<\/a> and YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n