1981 springbok tour protests a timeline of events

1981 Springbok Tour Protests

A timeline of events

1921

First official series – South Africa played in New Zealand

1948

Apartheid becomes a legal system, under National Government led by Daniel Malan.

1950s

New Zealand considered peaceful, prosperous and integrated

1960

“No Maori, no tour” - petition signed against sending a race-based team.

1968

United Nations called for a sporting boycott against South Africa

1969

Halt Against Racist Tours was founded by University of Auckland students

1970

New Zealand Rugby Football Union did not select Maori players to tour South Africa up

until this time.New Zealand tour to South Africa – multiracial team because Maori were

considered as 'honourary whites'

1972

Norman Kirk, Labour opposition leader, promised not to interfere with the 1973

Tour in the lead up to the election.

1973

Tour postponed

1974

Christchurch hosted the Commonwealth Games

Black South African nations threatened to boycott the games if the tour in 1973 went

ahead.

1975

Robert Muldoon said the National government would welcome a tour of the

Springboks to New Zealand

1976

All Blacks tour to South AfricaBlack African nations boycott the Montreal

OlympicsSoweto riots

1977

Commonwealth heads of state meetingGleneagles Agreement

1980

New Zealand Rugby Football Union invite Springboks to tour New Zealand in

response to Muldoon's attitude towards Keep Politics Out Of Sport

1981

John Minto national organiser for Halt Against Racist Tours

19 July Springboks arrived for the tour

22 July 1981

Gisborne

25 July 1981

Hamilton

29 July 1981

Molesworth Street, Wellington protest violence

15 August 1981

First test in Christchurch

29 August 1981

Second test in Wellington

12 September 1981

Third test in Auckland

1992

Teams selected on the bias of race, due to Apartheid, up until this time.

1995

Rugby went professional