1981 South Africa Rugby Union Tour of New Zealand - Aftermath

Aftermath

The Muldoon government was re-elected in the 1981 election losing three seats to leave it with a majority of one seat.

The NZRFU constitution contained much high-minded wording about promoting the image of rugby and New Zealand, and generally being a benefit to society. In 1985 the NZRFU proposed an All Black tour of South Africa. Two lawyers successfully sued the NZRFU, claiming such a tour would breach the NZRFU's constitution. The High Court stopped the All Black tour. The 1981 Springbok tour of New Zealand could arguably have been stopped by the courts: it is interesting that protest groups did not attempt such a remedy within the "system" in 1981. The All Blacks did not tour South Africa until after the fall of the apartheid régime (1990–1994), although after the official 1985 tour was cancelled an unofficial tour did take place in 1986 by a team which included 28 out of the 30 All Blacks players selected for the 1985 tour. These were known both inside and outside the Republic of South Africa as the New Zealand Cavaliers, but often advertised inside South Africa as the All Blacks or alternatively depicted with the Silver Fern.

Some considered that for the first time in history, rugby in New Zealand had become a source of embarrassment rather than pride. Six years later, however, the team won the 1987 Rugby World Cup.

The role of the police also became more controversial as a result of the tour.