Causes of the Event
The protest against the Springbok Tour was due to some believing it was immoral to allow the All Blacks to play a team that was racially selected. It was believed by some that allowing this to happen would that New Zealand did not have a problem with the apartheid problems occurring in South Africa.
Opposite view to this came from those extremely passionate about the sport that believed that sport and politics should not mix.
The significance of rugby in New Zealand culture is another reason for the passionate protests, by each of the views. Maori and Pakeha met on equal terms on the rugby field. Great pride was taken in the New Zealand rugby team after their first tour to Britain in 1905, the team being nicknames ‘The Originals’ after only losing to Wales in a controversial disallowance of a try. This tour sparked a nation wide love of the sport, Prime Minister Richard Seddon even suggesting that a photograph of the All Blacks should be hung in all schools.
A great rivalry had developed with South Africa. The South African rugby team travelled to New Zealand in 1921. During this tour they played a match against a Maori team, which caused controversy among some South Africans. A reporter stated that he was appalled that they team had to play a ‘coloured’ team. This lead to Maori players being left out of a tour to South Africa in 1928. Apartheid laws has been introduced to South Africa in 1948, and yet the NZ rugby union did not do anything about the matches between the Springboks and the All Blacks, nor did they challenge the fact that Maori were excluded from the games. Through these games, South Africa had effectively spread apartheid to New Zealand.
In 1959 it was announced that no Maori was be able to be in the New Zealand team which was set to tour South Africa in 1960. This sparked many protests, as it was seen by some New Zealanders that this was extremely unfair. A petition was created with 156,000 signatures was taken to parliament. This petition called for the tour to be cancelled.
All Black authority, T.P McLean had previously supported the tour, but after the petition he changed his mind stating, “If it were not good enough for Maoris, with all their great contributions to rugby and the development of New Zealand as a nation, to be invited to South Africa as part of a rugby team, it was not good enough for the team to go.”
In 1977, the Commonwealth nations created the Gleneagles Agreement. Members were required to 'discourage contact and competition between their sportsmen and sporting organizations, teams or individuals from South Africa.' International isolation was aimed at South Africa in an attempt to stop the racial segregation occurring. Along with economic restrictions, the isolation of sport with other countries seemed to have a considerable effect on whites in South Africa. In a survey inquiring about the three largest consequences of apartheid, most said that losing international sporting contact was among the top three consequences.
A significant reason for the protests against the 1981 Springbok Tour was that in allowing this sporting contact to happen, New Zealand would be dishonoring the Gleneagles Agreement. This is one of the causes for the large number of protests that followed.
Labour party knew that they would be at risk of losing votes if they were to cancel the tour. Because of this, they debated that it was not in their control to stop the All Blacks from touring. Furthermore they said that the Maori would be offended by the way they would be treated if they were to travel to South Africa, where Apartheid was everywhere.
The protest against the Springbok Tour was due to some believing it was immoral to allow the All Blacks to play a team that was racially selected. It was believed by some that allowing this to happen would that New Zealand did not have a problem with the apartheid problems occurring in South Africa.
Opposite view to this came from those extremely passionate about the sport that believed that sport and politics should not mix.
The significance of rugby in New Zealand culture is another reason for the passionate protests, by each of the views. Maori and Pakeha met on equal terms on the rugby field. Great pride was taken in the New Zealand rugby team after their first tour to Britain in 1905, the team being nicknames ‘The Originals’ after only losing to Wales in a controversial disallowance of a try. This tour sparked a nation wide love of the sport, Prime Minister Richard Seddon even suggesting that a photograph of the All Blacks should be hung in all schools.
A great rivalry had developed with South Africa. The South African rugby team travelled to New Zealand in 1921. During this tour they played a match against a Maori team, which caused controversy among some South Africans. A reporter stated that he was appalled that they team had to play a ‘coloured’ team. This lead to Maori players being left out of a tour to South Africa in 1928. Apartheid laws has been introduced to South Africa in 1948, and yet the NZ rugby union did not do anything about the matches between the Springboks and the All Blacks, nor did they challenge the fact that Maori were excluded from the games. Through these games, South Africa had effectively spread apartheid to New Zealand.
In 1959 it was announced that no Maori was be able to be in the New Zealand team which was set to tour South Africa in 1960. This sparked many protests, as it was seen by some New Zealanders that this was extremely unfair. A petition was created with 156,000 signatures was taken to parliament. This petition called for the tour to be cancelled.
All Black authority, T.P McLean had previously supported the tour, but after the petition he changed his mind stating, “If it were not good enough for Maoris, with all their great contributions to rugby and the development of New Zealand as a nation, to be invited to South Africa as part of a rugby team, it was not good enough for the team to go.”
In 1977, the Commonwealth nations created the Gleneagles Agreement. Members were required to 'discourage contact and competition between their sportsmen and sporting organizations, teams or individuals from South Africa.' International isolation was aimed at South Africa in an attempt to stop the racial segregation occurring. Along with economic restrictions, the isolation of sport with other countries seemed to have a considerable effect on whites in South Africa. In a survey inquiring about the three largest consequences of apartheid, most said that losing international sporting contact was among the top three consequences.
A significant reason for the protests against the 1981 Springbok Tour was that in allowing this sporting contact to happen, New Zealand would be dishonoring the Gleneagles Agreement. This is one of the causes for the large number of protests that followed.
Labour party knew that they would be at risk of losing votes if they were to cancel the tour. Because of this, they debated that it was not in their control to stop the All Blacks from touring. Furthermore they said that the Maori would be offended by the way they would be treated if they were to travel to South Africa, where Apartheid was everywhere.