Anti-Tour
Introduction
The anti- tour protest movement began well before the Springboks landed in New Zealand. Demonstrations were held by H.A.R.T as well as other groups to try and raise awareness of the upcoming Springbok Tour and what sporting contact with South Africa truly meant. Remarkable protest action was taken up by the anti-tour protesters at the games played in Gisborne, Hamilton, Christchurch and Auckland including a huge clash on Molesworth Street in Wellington. The protesters opinion was continually ignored by the Muldoon government and by the NZRFU. Conflict ensued around the nation with ant-tour protesters coming to blows with both tour supporters and police. It seemed as though the huge scale conflict ex-Prime Minister Norman Kirk spoke of was happening. The anti-tour protest movement was an organized movement that used various different protest methods that included; marches; rallies; hunger strikes; boycotts; poster and flyer printing; pitch invasions as well as many others. The 1981 Springbok Tour saw New Zealand under go a huge social change, one that had never been seen before.
Gisborne
The first match of the 1981 Springbok Tour was to be held in Gisborne. The Springboks were set to play their first game against Poverty Bay, a provincial team from Gisborne. Not only was it the first game for the Springboks but it was also the first clash between tour supporters and anti-tour protesters. Little did they know that the clash at Gisborne would be the first of many across New Zealand. The anti-tour protesters came from a wide range of ethnicities and backgrounds which included Maori, Pacific Islanders, Pakeha, poor, wealthy, laborers, lawyers, doctors etc. this also included many people from unions, they brought protest knowledge and experience to the anti-tour protest movement as they had been involved in prior disputes such as the 1913 and 1951 waterfront strikes. On the day of the match, 300 tour protesters turned out and travelled through a golf course that bordered the rugby filed. From there they tore down barricades and fences to gain access to the pitch. The protesters then proceeded to drop bits of broken glass, nails, tacs among other things to try and get the match cancelled. The social divide that had been brewing between those that opposed the tour and those that supported it as clashes between the two broke out in Gisborne. Police eventually had to step in and stop the fighting.
The Springbok Captain at the time Wynand Claassen recalls “When we arrived in Gisborne and we saw the protesters and when they dropped glass and other things on the playing field, we realised it was going to be quite tough... We were totally unprepared and I don't think even the New Zealanders knew it would be that intense.”
The Springbok Captain at the time Wynand Claassen recalls “When we arrived in Gisborne and we saw the protesters and when they dropped glass and other things on the playing field, we realised it was going to be quite tough... We were totally unprepared and I don't think even the New Zealanders knew it would be that intense.”
Hamilton Test
The next game was held at Rugby Park in Hamilton, only three days after the events that took place in Gisborne. Determined not to let the protesters disturb the match, the Waikato Rugby Union employed the help of over 500 police men to blockade the stadium as they knew pitch invasion was the tactic the anti-tour protesters would use. Despite this, the determined protesters still managed to demonstrate their message which can be summed up in the chant “1,2,3,4 we don’t want your racist tour!” With this being a weekend game the amount of protesters swelled up to around 350. These hearty, devoted protesters made their way toward Rugby Park, busting down the barricades and fences as they went. The anti-tour protesters managed another successful pitch invasion, busting through the police and barricades. The protesters then stood near the centre of the field where they linked arms and chanted ant-tour and anti apartheid slogans, much to the anger of the rugby supporters. Police then slowly formed a cordon around the unified group and managed to disperse them slowly. There was even a rumor that an anti-tour protester named Pat McQuarrie had stolen a light aircraft and was heading straight for Rugby Park. It took nearly an hour for police to disrupt the protest going on in the middle of the field and 50 protesters were subsequently arrested. As a result of how long it took to separate the protesters and the rumor of an air craft heading towards the field, the match was officially cancelled. The protesters had succeeded. However, the hundreds of rugby fans and supporters surrounding the outnumbered protesters reacted violently by yelling obscenities at the protesters as well as throwing glass bottles and punching them as they made their way off the filed and out of Rugby Park. "We didn't realise it was going to be that intense and that the violence would be that bad...I don't think anybody in our team ever expected that to happen," Claassen said of the protests.
Not only did the protesters succeed in stopping the match, they succeed in creating a huge social impact that was captured on film and photographed for the world to see. This revealed to the world that New Zealand will not stand for the unjust system of apartheid therefore helping to redeem New Zealands tarnished international reputation.
Not only did the protesters succeed in stopping the match, they succeed in creating a huge social impact that was captured on film and photographed for the world to see. This revealed to the world that New Zealand will not stand for the unjust system of apartheid therefore helping to redeem New Zealands tarnished international reputation.
Molseworth St and Christchurch Test
On the 29th of July the Springboks played against Taranaki in Wellington where there would be large scale violence between the New Zealand Police Fore and the anti-Springbok Tour protesters. This occurred on Molseworth Street where a protest march was planned. Over 2000 protesters turned up for the proposed march though Molesworth Street and to the South African Consuls home however this was not the case. As the protesters gathered outside parliament in Wellington, so did the police who blocked their path and did not allow them to proceed. This was the first major brutal conflict between the police and the protesters. The police reacted violently towards the campaigners and used their batons to bloody and beat anyone within their range. This was the police forces way of regaining control after what had happened four days earlier at the Hamilton fixture. After this confrontation many protesters were angry with the police and this anger would fuel more violent conflicts in the future. The police then changed their tactics by using long batons to push rather than beat protesters.
The match between the All Black and the Springboks was on the 15th of August 1981 and was held at Lancaster Park. Police were well equipped to fend off protesters and were dressed in riot squad gear. Attempts made by the anti-tour protesters to invade the field failed due to the strong police presence. Also the protesters were hesitant to engage with the police after what occurred at Molesworth street. The police fore effectively used the tactic of intimidation which allowed the game to proceed. The All Blacks went on to win this test 14-9.
The match between the All Black and the Springboks was on the 15th of August 1981 and was held at Lancaster Park. Police were well equipped to fend off protesters and were dressed in riot squad gear. Attempts made by the anti-tour protesters to invade the field failed due to the strong police presence. Also the protesters were hesitant to engage with the police after what occurred at Molesworth street. The police fore effectively used the tactic of intimidation which allowed the game to proceed. The All Blacks went on to win this test 14-9.
Wellington Test
The second test match was held at Athletic Park on the 29th of August in Wellington. This match in the nations capital saw a he turn out of ant-tour protesters that numbered up to 7000. This huge mass of people blocked motorway exits as well as road and pedestrian access to Athletic Park, stretching police resources to their limits. The police tried being human wedges to let the rugby spectators through. Once again violence broke out between the police and protesters, further use of the batons tainted the polices image. Rugby supporters also made their prescience known as they too fought the protesters and many skirmishes broke out in the streets. This gigantic swell of protesters and the march was one of the most organized and unified demonstrations the tour ever saw. The Springboks went on to win this game 24-12 to tie the series.
Auckland Test
Auckland was the final destination for the 1981 Springbok Tour as the third and final match was played between the Springboks and All Blacks at Eden Park. The 12th of September marked the climax of the anti-tour protests as protesters realized the tour was coming to the end. The Muldoon government had allowed the Springbok tour to continue and would stop at nothing to have a successful finish. The protesters were fired up and ready for a battle, they donned helmets and brought with them shields and weapons to combat the police and rugby supporters. Once again the protesters took to the streets trying to block off access to Eden Park. Fighting and violence erupted as tour supporters and police collided with the protesters and with each other. Police were attacked with a whole range of weapons which consisted of glass bottles, cans, stones, clubs and everything else the campaigners brought with them. The highlight of the Auckland protest was when two anti-Springbok tour protesters pilot Marx Jones and co-pilot Grant Cole flew a Cessna airplane low over Eden Park dropping smoke bombs and flour bombs onto the pitch and onto the players. This was by far the most radical form of protest seen during the tour. The All Blacks won this deciding test 25-22.
Pro-Tour
The1981 Springbok tour was a hugely significant and contested event in New Zealands history and like with any contested even there are always conflicting perceptions and beliefs.
The Springbok Tour supporters were usually dedicated rugby fans or sports fans in general. They held the belief that 'sport and politics should not mix.' This means that they did not support the apartheid regime in South Africa, they just wanted to watch rugby tests between the Springboks and the All Blacks which is something we all can relate to. However, the tour supporters did not understand or comprehend what sporting contact with South Africa symbolised and meant to the international community, which is that if you engage in any type of sport with South Africa you support what they stand for which is racism and inequality.
It is also important to understand that the pro-tour movement was not an organised movement but a reaction to the anti-tour movement. for example when the anti-tour protesters blocked their way or tried to disrupt a rugby game, the rugby supporters would retaliate by insulting and fighting the campaigners.
Prime Minister Robert Muldoon used the beliefs of the tour-supporters to get into parliament. this was his own ambition and he put the pride and reputation of an entire nation on the line because of it.
The Springbok Tour supporters were usually dedicated rugby fans or sports fans in general. They held the belief that 'sport and politics should not mix.' This means that they did not support the apartheid regime in South Africa, they just wanted to watch rugby tests between the Springboks and the All Blacks which is something we all can relate to. However, the tour supporters did not understand or comprehend what sporting contact with South Africa symbolised and meant to the international community, which is that if you engage in any type of sport with South Africa you support what they stand for which is racism and inequality.
It is also important to understand that the pro-tour movement was not an organised movement but a reaction to the anti-tour movement. for example when the anti-tour protesters blocked their way or tried to disrupt a rugby game, the rugby supporters would retaliate by insulting and fighting the campaigners.
Prime Minister Robert Muldoon used the beliefs of the tour-supporters to get into parliament. this was his own ambition and he put the pride and reputation of an entire nation on the line because of it.
Key ideas
The anti-tour movement, supported by groups such as H.A.R.T, held remarkable protest demonstrations that caught the attention of the world. The main centres of New Zealand; Wellington; Christchurch and Auckland, as well as Gisborne bore the brunt of anti-tour/anti-apartheid action. These protest actions revealed New Zealands solidarity and support for those in South Africa suffering under the racist system of apartheid. Such was the magnitude of the protests that, Nelson Mandela heard of these demonstrations from his prison cell on Robin Island and was quoted saying that the protests in New Zealand 'were like the sun coming out.' It is also important to note that a significant cause of the anti-tour movement came about through a desire to redeem New Zealands reputation that was tarnished when Robert Muldoon accepted South Africas offer of sporting contact in 1976. The pro-tour movement was not an organised movement but rather a reaction to the ant-tour protest demonstrations. The tour supporters were generally devoted rugby fans or sports fans in general who did not necessarily support apartheid but held the belief that 'sport and politics should not mix.' The escalation and the scale of the violence that exploded throughout New zealand revealed just how strongly the nation felt about their views and stance on the tour. It also revealed the level of divide between New Zealands nationwide community.