The Two Passenger Jets Flew Over Ellis Park in Johannesburg

On August 22, 2026, the first test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry between South Africa and New Zealand was held at 10bet Ellis Park in Johannesburg, South Africa. Before and after the match, Airlink announced that it had conducted a formation flyby over the stadium using two of its Embraer aircraft.

According to Airlink’s official announcement, the aircraft were the green-liveried E190 ZS-YAE and the black-liveried E195 ZS-YDE. Airlink said it was serving as the official domestic airline for the tour and was responsible for transporting the South African and New Zealand squads and officials.

The key point is that these were not unidentified passenger jets, but aircraft involved in an officially announced Airlink flyby connected to the tournament.

New Zealand Won the Match 33–16

The final score of the first test at Ellis Park was South Africa 16, New Zealand 33. New Zealand Rugby’s official match page and an official South African Rugby announcement recorded the same result.

New Zealand was reported to have risen to No. 1 in the world rugby rankings after the victory. The story therefore spread not only because of the aircraft seen over the stadium, but also because New Zealand’s win in a traditional rivalry match coincided with a change in the rankings.

The “12 m” Claim Must Be Distinguished from What Is Officially Confirmed

Claims specifying the distance between the stadium and the aircraft circulated online, but the official materials confirmed for the Ellis Park flyby do not provide the aircraft’s actual flight altitude or route. The separate flyby reported in Cape Town on August 29 should also not be confused with the Ellis Park incident on August 22.

The information that can currently be confirmed is as follows:

  1. The flyby took place at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on August 22.
  2. Two Airlink Embraer aircraft were used.
  3. New Zealand defeated South Africa 33–16.
  4. New Zealand subsequently rose to No. 1 in the world rugby rankings.

The aircraft’s exact altitude, speed, route, and approval status cannot be determined from the confirmed materials alone.

Sources

  • [Airlink, Airlink Flyby Marks Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry](https://www.flyairlink.com/news/airlink-flyby-rugby-greatest-rivalry) — checked August 30, 2026
  • [Airlink, Airlink Official Airline for Rugby Rivalry 2026](https://www.flyairlink.com/news/rugbys-greatest-rivalry) — checked August 30, 2026
  • [New Zealand Rugby, South Africa vs All Blacks official match page](https://www.allblacks.com/matches/south-africa-new-zealand-22-08-2026/lineups) — checked August 30, 2026
  • [South African Rugby, All Blacks go one up after RGR opener in Joburg](https://springboks.rugby/news-features/articles/2026/8/22/all-blacks-go-one-up-after-rgr-opener-in-joburg) — checked August 30, 2026
  • [Rugbe.nz, One win at Ellis Park and the All Blacks are world number one again](https://www.rugbe.nz/news/all-blacks-world-number-one-rankings-2026) — checked August 30, 2026