1981 South Africa Rugby Union Tour of New Zealand - The Tour

The Tour

By the early 1980s the pressure from other African countries as well as from protest groups in New Zealand, such as HART, reached a head when the New Zealand Rugby Union proposed a Springbok tour for 1981. This became a topic of political contention due to the issue of the sports boycott by the other African nations. The Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, refused permission for the Springboks' aircraft to refuel on Australian territory en route to New Zealand, the trip therefore went via Los Angeles and Hawaii.

Despite pressure from activists for the New Zealand government (headed by Prime Minister Robert Muldoon) to cancel the tour, permission was granted, and the South African team arrived in New Zealand on 19 July 1981. Since 1977 Muldoon's government had been a party to the Gleneagles Agreement, in which the countries of the Commonwealth accepted that it was:

"the urgent duty of each of their Governments vigorously to combat the evil of apartheid by withholding any form of support for, and by taking every practical step to discourage contact or competition by their nationals with sporting organisations, teams or sportsmen from South Africa or from any other country where sports are organised on the basis of race, colour or ethnic origin."

Despite this, Muldoon argued that New Zealand was a free and democratic country, and that "politics should stay out of sport."

Some rugby supporters echoed the separation of politics and sport. Others argued that if the tour were cancelled, there would be no reporting of the widespread criticism against apartheid in New Zealand in the controlled South African media. Muldoon's critics, on the other hand, felt that he allowed the tour to go ahead in order for his National Party to secure the votes of rural and provincial conservatives in the general election later in the year, which Muldoon would go on to win.

The ensuing public protests polarised the New Zealand population. While rugby fans filled the football grounds, protest crowds filled the surrounding streets, and on one occasion succeeded in invading the pitch and stopping the game.

To begin with the anti-tour movement committed themselves, by and large, to a programme of non-violent civil disobedience, demonstration, and direct action. In anticipation of this and as protection for the touring Springboks, the police created two special riot squads, the Red and Blue Squads. These police were, controversially, the first in New Zealand to be issued with visored riot helmets and with what was then referred to as the long baton (more commonly the side-handle baton). Some protesters were intimidated and interpreted this initial police firepower as overkill and heavy-handed tactics. After early disruptions, police began to require that all spectators assemble in sports grounds at least an hour before kick-off.

At Gisborne on 22 July, protesters managed to break through a fence, but quick action by rugby spectators and ground security prevented the game being disrupted. Some protesters were injured by police batons.