The All Blacks' quarter-final exit from the Rugby World Cup continues to make waves with the Wellington Phoenix supporters club reporting an increase in membership numbers following the loss.
Adam Brown, spokesman for the 'Yellow Fever', said there had been a spike in membership on Sunday afternoon and Monday after France beat New Zealand 20-18 in Cardiff.
He said numbers in the supporters' club had been steady at about 3,500.
"But we had a surge of about 200 on Sunday afternoon and Monday after the All Blacks lost, which was quite funny," Brown said.
New Zealanders generally have been quite forgiving of their team, with an estimated 2,000 fans gathering at Christchurch airport to welcome the squad home earlier this week.
Meanwhile, New Zealand's Women's Refuge said the angry reaction to the loss was a disturbing sign.
Women's Refuge chief executive Heather Henare said the anger and abuse being expressed on talkback radio and some web sites was a wake-up call about the behaviour and attitudes of some New Zealanders.
"It's being directed at rugby players, officials, the referee and anyone else some people seem to want to take their disappointment out on," she said.
She said that although she understood the disappointment, it was no excuse.
"If the sort of anger we're hearing directed towards our supposed sports heroes is reflected in how some of these people also treat their families, then that's a real concern," Henare said.
