The 1981 South African rugby tour (known in New Zealand as the 1981 Springbok Tour, and in South Africa as the Rebel Tour) polarised opinions and inspired widespread protests across New Zealand.

Feb 4, 2020 · For 56 days in July, August and September 1981, New Zealanders were divided against each other in the largest civil disturbance seen since the 1951 waterfront dispute. The cause of this was the visit of the South African rugby team – the Springboks.

Jul 30, 1981 · Springbok Tour 1981. Protests against the South African rugby team touring New Zealand divided the country in 1981. Discover the reasons behind this civil disobedience, as well as the demonstrations, police actions and the politics of playing sports. SCIS no. 1809122

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Yet 25 years later, the 1981 Springbok tour became one of the most divisive events in New Zealand history. Its impact went far beyond the rugby ground as communities and families divided and tensions spilled out onto the streets and into the living rooms of the nation.

Throughout 1981, plans by the New Zealand Rugby Union to host a rugby tour from apartheid South Africa faced growing public opposition (New Zealand prime minister. Despite calls for the tour to be scrapped, the all-white Springbok team arrived in July.

40 years on from the 1981 Springbok Rugby Tour to New Zealand, Reporter Hikurangi Jackson catches up with some of the key figures to understand why the tour was so controversial. In this...

As the Tour made its way through New Zealand, the protest movement gained publicity, followers and momentum, culminating on the 12th of September 1981 with the events of the final test at Eden Park in Auckland. Members of the anti-tour movement could be found throughout the country, many spread amongst smaller, local groups.

Flour bombs, flares and leaflets were dropped from a low flying Cessna plane which buzzed the third and final game of the 1981 Springbok Tour - dramatic Radio New Zealand coverage of the game and the…

With tensions in New Zealand reaching astronomical proportions, the Springboks were next scheduled to play four days later, on July 29. The anti-Springbok protesters were largely absent from the match, but had instead planned a march on the South African consulate in …