springboks

1981 Springbok tour

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  For 56 days in July, August and September 1981, New Zealanders were divided against each other in the largest civil disturbance seen since the 1951 waterfront dispute. The cause of this was the visit of the South African rugby team – the Springboks.

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• Page 2 – All Blacks versus Springboks

  Since rugby went professional in 1995 countries like Australia, England and France have challenged New Zealand and South Africa's claims to be the two powerhouses of world

• Page 3 – Politics and sport

  South Africa's apartheid policies and attitudes created obvious problems for New Zealand rugby, given the prominence of Māori in the sport.

• Page 4 – Stopping the 1973 tour

  Keeping sport and politics separate was becoming increasingly difficult. In July 1969 HART (Halt All Racist Tours) was founded by University of Auckland students with the

• Page 5 – Gleneagles Agreement

  The All Blacks accepted an invitation to tour South Africa in 1976, when world attention was fixed on the republic because of the Soweto riots.

• Page 6 – Battle lines are drawn

  Tour supporters were determined that the first Springbok visit to New Zealand since 1965 would not be spoiled. The anti-tour movement was equally determined to show its

• Page 7 – Tour diary

  Select itinerary of the 1981 tour by the Springbok rugby team.

• Page 8 – Impact

  In Hamilton the protesters occupying the pitch had chanted 'The whole world is watching'. The same applied to New Zealand as a nation. Some believed the tour was an opportunity

• Page 9 – Further information

  Find out more about the 1981 Springbok Tour.