The Highlanders may have lost their Super Rugby semifinal but they won themselves some fans with their post-match actions.

After losing 42-30 to the Lions at Ellis Park on Sunday morning (NZ time), the team removed their boots and presented them to children in the crowd.

South African Facebook user Thinus Wentzel said the majority of the Highlanders' team took part in the gesture.

"These gents, or at least the vast majority of them, took off their rugby boots and gave it to children in the crowd," he posted on Facebook. "Some even shared their socks.

"I do not know the full history of this gesture, if it has symbolic intent or if it was just a spur of the moment thing. It did, however, earn them the respect of the 20,000 Lions supporters on our side of the stands."

Others commented that they had seen players taking their boots off, but were not sure what for. A spokesperson for the Highlanders told Fairfax on Tuesday the team had decided to give their boots away if they failed to advance to the final.

Commenters on Wentzel's thread praised the Highlanders for their humility in defeat.