AI Facebook pages are sharing horrific fake news about NZ rugby players & fans

Fake AI-generated rugby news pages are flooding fans’ social media feeds, spreading misleading stories about players, clubs, and even false reports of deaths across Facebook.

One page, Red Knight Legacy, looks fairly harmless at first glance - almost like a standard Crusaders fan account. But a quick scroll reveals a very different picture of who or what is behind the posts.

The page has shared false claims that Dan Carter was “fighting for his life” in the hospital, that a member of the Crusaders staff had passed away, and even that there had been “one of the most chaotic brawls” during one of their matches.

Transparency details on the Red Knight Legacy page show it was created on April 6, 2026, under the name Linda Kilback, before being renamed on April 15.

Another page, Storm Surge Squad, recently posted an image claiming the Hurricanes’ home ground, Sky Stadium (now known as Hnry Stadium), was “on fire”, encouraging users to click an external link to view more images.

While many social media users have started to recognise the tactics behind these posts, comment sections suggest plenty of fans are still being caught out.

One post falsely claiming former Hurricanes player Julian Savea’s wife had died attracted more than 100 comments offering condolences, with users writing messages such as “Condolences to Julian Savea and the family”.

The pages appear to mix genuine rugby photos with fake stories to build trust and encourage interaction. Many posts also encourage users to click through to external websites, which creates a huge security concern.

The page links to the website prismcanvas.info, which recent search results have connected to potential scams.

Trusted sports fan account The Legend of Marty Banks called out the growing trend, saying: “These AI Facebook pages are now making up fake children that have died. And so many comments from New Zealanders thinking it’s real.”

The problem isn’t limited to rugby union. Similar fake posts have also appeared to target the NRL and AFL codes, too.

AFL club the Western Bulldogs appears to be the only club that has addressed the issue head-on. 

“These posts have referenced people at or associated with our Club and even their relatives, claiming to be reporting false conflicts, illnesses and even deaths,” they said in a Facebook Post.

“If you see stories like these, please think twice before commenting on or sharing them, as any engagement will make them more visible.”

Many users say they have reported the pages, with Facebook later responding and claiming  “we’ve now removed the page.” 

However, several accounts appear to remain active, continuing to circulate AI-generated misinformation.

While questions remain about what can be done to remove these pages from spreading misinformation, it’s a helluva reminder to not believe everything you see on the internet.