Sewing the Seeds of ProtestThe year of 1981 saw what some have described as New Zealand's closest encounter with civil war when the South African National Rugby Team, The Springboks, toured New Zealand to which the country erupted into a sea of protest. The Anti Springbok tour protest came at a time when the threads of protest were well woven into New Zealand society. This generation had been exposed to Anti-Vietnam war protest, The Second Wave of Feminism, Anti-French nuclear testing and nuclear ship visits in the late 1960s and early 1970s, all of which initiated a sense of self-righteousness throughout New Zealand society.
"Most unfortunate match ever played. Bad enough having to play a team of officially designated New Zealand natives but the spectacle of thousands of Europeans frantically cheering on a band of coloured men to defeat members of their own race was too much for the Springboks, who were frankly disgusted." The clash of the South African and New Zealand in the sporting arena posed obvious issues in relation to South African's Apartheid system given the difference in the social structure between the two countries. Durring 1921 the South African national rugby team, the Springboks, toured New Zealand. As part of the tour, the all white Springbok side played and all Maori All Black side in Napier. The South African correspondent Charles Blackett report of the match stated: "Most unfortunate match ever played. Bad enough having to play a team of officially designated New Zealand natives but the spectacle of thousands of Europeans frantically cheering on a band of coloured men to defeat members of their own race was too much for the Springboks, who were frankly disgusted." This (adapted) quote reinforces the situation of prejudice that was present in South Africa prior to the Apartheid system. |
This document, written in 1981, exemplifies the perspective of an anti-tour activist who shares his account of being arrested.
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This document, written in 1981, expresses the opinion of a New Zealander who was neither pro nor anti-tour but definitely held an anti-violence perspective on the tour. This document also reinforces the international attention held by New Zealand during the protest, which emphasizes the historical significance of this protest movement due to the way in which the tour influenced the international community.
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