Prior to 1981 tour, sporting contact, with South Africa was already controversial. In 1928, George Nepia was excluded from the All Blacks team due to ‘white’ South Africa’s feelings about racial separation. This soon became a trend, as Maori players were also excluded from the 1937 and 1940 Rugby Tours. Yet, when the same request was made for the 1960 Tour, many New Zealanders took a stand. New Zealanders, white and coloured alike, were outraged This led to much civil unrest in New Zealand. 200 people petitioned Parliament demanding “No Maoris, No Tour”.
However, the nation was divided between two very different opinions regarding the Tour. “Supporters of the Tour were generally dedicated followers of rugby who believed that sport and politics should not mix” while “opponents of the Tour believed that it was immoral to allow racially-selected teams to come” (2) to New Zealand to play rugby. Many were concerned that by letting the 1960 Tour progress was showing the world that New Zealand accepted the racial segregation and oppression in South Africa. This coupled with the Sharpeville Massacre occurring later that year, increasing pressure was put upon the South African Government and an international sporting boycott was initiated. Thus the 1968 Tour was halted by the Government generating great disappointment in New Zealanders. |
"For South Africa … playing rugby with the top rugby countries was terribly important, so isolation from the hurt. Hurt in a way that didn’t impinge on the economy, people couldn’t seek an alibi from sanctions by saying this was going to hurt black people – clearly it was not going to do that. So it was a terribly important political stand to make.”
– Sir Shridath Ramphal (Commonwealth Secretary General 1981) (3). to edit. |
Therefore, in 1970 South Africa changed their policies to allow Maori to take part in the Tour planned for that year classifying them as ‘honorary whites’. This did not satisfy many protest groups however they were a minority proved by a 1972 poll which showed that 80% of New Zealanders were in support of the 1973 Springbok Tour.
1972 also meant changes in Government, and met with so much discontent about the cancelling of the 1970 Tour, Labour had to promise not to interfere with sporting contact with South Africa in order to win the election. However, only a few months into his term as Prime Minister, Norman Kirk had to break this promise. The reasoning behind the decision to ban the Springbok Tour planned for 1973 was that the police would not be able to control the demonstrations themselves but would have to send for help from the Army. This was not something Kirk wanted to consider and so the 1973 Springbok Tour was scraped. |