This document provides an overview of New Zealand's history with rugby and South Africa under apartheid. It discusses key events like the 1949 and 1956 rugby tours between the two countries. It also examines the political dimensions of sporting contact with South Africa, including protests against tours that excluded Māori players in 1960 and 1965. The document analyzes the controversial 1981 rugby tour by South Africa and the divisions it caused in New Zealand society. Overall, it uses rugby as a lens to explore New Zealand's relationship with apartheid South Africa from the early 20th century through the anti-apartheid movement of the 1970s-1980s.

1. Level 2 History

2. Contents
• Achievement Standards • 1981
• Sport & Politics
• SA and Apartheid
• The Place of Rugby in NZ
• Rugby Rivalry Runs Deep
• 1921 : 1949 Humiliation
• 1956 Revenge
• The Greatest Rivalry – 2
• 1960: No Maori, No Tour
• 1965 Repeat
• 1970 Honorary Whites
2

3. Achievement Standards
• AS 91229 Carry out a planned Inquiry of an
historical event or place of significance to New
Zealanders. (4 Credits) Internal
• AS 91230 Examine an historical event or place
of significance to New Zealanders. (5 Credits)
Internal
• AS 91231 Examine sources of an historical
event or place of significance to New
Zealanders. (4 Credits)
• AS 91232 Interpret different perspectives of
people in an historical event of significance to
New Zealanders. (5 Credits) Internal
• AS 91233 Examine causes and consequences of
a significant historical event. (5 Credits).
• AS 91234 Achievement Examine how a
significant historical event affected New
Zealand society 3

4. Topics in 2012
• Sport and Politics: Causes and
Consequences of the 1981 Tour.
• Assasination at Sarajevo: Causes
and Consequences of the
assassination of Franz Ferdinand.
• Revolution in Russia: Causes and
Consequences of the Russian
Revolutions
• Crossing the Mangatawhiri: Causes
and Consequences of the Waikato
Invasion
4

5. Sport Vs. Politics
• Politics and Sport is a
controversial issue.
• Many people feel that the two
should never mix.
• Somehow sports is considered
‘pure’ in its pursuit of personal
excellence.
• Politics is somehow ‘grubby’
often attracting baser instincts
of greed and manipulation.
• Many people and organisations
would argue that they should
never combine.
• In New Zealand, Rugby is where
the two have regularly collided.
5

6. South Africa
1900 2000

7. South Africa and Apartheid
• By the 1940’s South Africa was a country where the
majority were Black (Zulu, Xhosa etc) or Coloured
(Mixed Race) with a significant White minority.
• Most Whites were Afrikaans (Dutch) with some
English.
• The Boers War 1899-1902 meant that many Dutch
Afrikaaners hated the “English”
• Many Afrikaans were extremely Nationalist and had
objected to supporting GB in both World Wars.
• After WWII they began to support the National Party
which wanted to further separate the Races, physically
and economically.
• This became a policy of “Grand” Apartheid which
would place Blacks and White into totally separate
areas.
• However they later allowed for “Petty” Apartheid,
with some mixing for work. (Rubbish Cleaning Cooks 7

8. Apartheid
• Apartheid was a policy of separating the
Black and White populations of South
Africa.
• Begun in 1948 it forced Blacks to live in
Homelands.
• Apartheid stopped different races from
marrying.
• It dictated where they could live.
• It restricted Black ability to vote.
• It restricted Black access to
transportation and education.
• Any Resistance was met with violence.
• Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.
• Steve Biko was murdered. Apartheid Laws
8

9. BBC Apartheid Video
Original Video Location 9

10. 10

11. The Place of Rugby in New Zealand
• First played in Nelson in 1870
• Quickly spread through towns
and rural areas.
• Rugby Clubs became social
centres in many small towns and
urban areas.
• It provided a strong sense of
identity for schools, club,
provincial and national identities.
Rod Derret: Rugby, Racing
• The All Blacks became important and Beer
to many peoples idea of national
success. Howard Morrison: My Old
Mans an All Black
11

12. • By 1900 Rugby was
beginning to dominate
almost every other
topic, including the
Boer War and Chinese
Immigration.
12

13. 1905 : The ALL BLACKS
13

14. Nice Game... Using Rugby
• Read the article by David Kirk. • Read the article about the
1. What is NZ well known for? Exhibition.
2. What makes us unique? 9. Describe how Murray Ball viewed
3. How and why might Clinton ‘bond’ rugby and the All Blacks? Use
with NZ? examples.
4. How does Sandra Coney view 10.How have Cartoonists viewed
rugby? rugby?
5. Why is rugby bad for other sports? 11.How have they depicted the All
Blacks?
6. What burden do rugby players
carry? 12.What themes did the exhibition
divided into?
7. How does the 1 legged stool fit our
self esteem? 13.How did South Africa change the
focus of rugby cartoons?
8. What does he think we should do?
14

15. Rugby Rivalry runs deep.
• In South Africa the game of the White minority
was Rugby. Blacks preferred football.
• Their greatest foe were the All Blacks.
• For many years both sides were acclaimed World
Champions.
• Series have been filled with controversy, penalties
or tries awarded or not, thuggery and referees
who made questionable decisions.
• In 1949 New Zealand lost 4-nil in South Africa.
• For many New Zealanders defeating the
Springboks at home & in Africa became an
obsession.
• The 1956 series became war. Kevin Skinner, Peter
Jones and Don Clarke became household names as
we strove for revenge.
• Defeat was unacceptable.
15
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZTR19210917.2.32&srpos=4&e=-------10--1----0springboks+natives--

16. Springbok V All Blacks
• 1919 NZ defeat SA
• 1921 SA draw series 1-1 in NZ
• 1928 NZ draw series 2-2 in SA
• 1937 SA win series 2-1 in NZ
• 1949 NZ lose series 4-0 in SA
• 1956 SA lose series 3-1 in NZ
• 1960 NZ lose series 3-1 in SA
• 1965 SA lose series 3-1 in NZ
• 1967 Tour cancelled by Union
• 1970 NZ lose series 3-1 in SA
• 1973 Tour cancelled by NZ Govt.
• 1976 NZ lose series 3-1 in SA
• 1981 SA lose series 2-1 in NZ
• 1983 Tour cancelled by NZ High Court 16

17. A 1921 Report for a SA paper
• “Bad enough having play
team officially designated
New Zealand natives, but
spectacle thousands
Europeans frantically cheering
on band of coloured men to
defeat members of own race
was too much for Springboks,
who frankly disgusted.”
17

18. 1949 Touring Team
• Based around the
successful 1946 ‘Kiwis’
army team which had
defeated the best of
Europe this team was
expected to do well
against the Boks.
• Losing the series 4 nil
was viewed as a
catastrophe.
18

19. 1949
19

20. 1956
• “...we’ll have
some of the
Springboks here
tomorrow to
help out”
• Even as early as
1956, security
was becoming
an issue.
• The Greatest Rivalry
21

21. 1956 Universities Win
22

22. Taranaki celebrated a 3-3
draw with the tourists.
Waikato and Canterbury
had already defeated
them.
Defeating the Springboks
was a huge honour for
any provincial team.
23

23. 1956
• Several Provinces found
the Boks could not cope
with the “Up’n’Under” or
‘bomb’ which they used
to terrorise the tourists.
• Inflicting as much injury
on the tourists was
considered a part of the
campaign to ‘soften’
them up for the Test
matches.
24

24. 1956 – Maori Lose
• Maori affairs minister Ernest Corbett told the
1956 Maori All Blacks they must not beat the
Springboks.
• Maori All Black fullback Muru Walters, now an
Anglican bishop in Otaki, said Mr Corbett
visited the team in their Eden Park dressing-
room and told them if they won the All Blacks
would never be invited back to South Africa.
25

25. Greatest Rugby Rivalry pt. 2
26

26. 1956 Series Won
• It was with a real sense
of relief that the Nation
celebrated the defeat of
the Springboks as
revenge for 1949.
• For the moment we
could call ourselves
World Champions.
27

27. 1960: No Maoris, No Tour
• In 1928,1949 the 1960 Maori
players were excluded from
these touring SA, which finally
raised protest in 1960.
• New Zealanders began to
realize the implications of this
over-riding desire to play South
Africa at any cost:
– It discriminated against Maori
– It meant we sent a weaker
team.
• International pressure began to What was the issue being protested about?
build in the 1970’s and several
Springbok tours to Australia
and the UK were blighted by
protests, violence and
30
cancellation.

28. 1960: NZRFU attitude
31

29. 1960: The Sydney Herald
32

30. NZ lost the 1960 Series
33

31. 1960
• As often happens
with an All Black
loss, children
began to drift to
other sports.
The Ballad of Peter
Snell
34

32. 1965
• The 1965 Springbok team
was unlucky to meet one of
the strongest All Black
teams, just starting a 4 year
run of success.
35

33. 1965
Wellington Win
36

34. 37

35. 1965
• Despite being outplayed by several
provinces the 1965 Springbok team
was still able to approach the final
test with the chance of drawing the
series.
• A draw meant they lost the series.
38

36. 1967 Tour Cancelled.
39

37. 1970: Honorary White?
• Despite protests, the 1970 tour
to the Republic saw Maori and
Pasifika players finally allowed
to tour, as ‘Honorary Whites”.
• Several Maori players were
happy to tour.
• 19 year old Samoan Bryan
Williams starred.
• Lacking talent in some key
positions and a consistent
kicker the All Blacks lost the
series.
40

38. 1972 – Politics?
41

39. 42

40. 1973
43

41. 1973 : Laugh
44

42. 1976: Rugby Vs Olympics
• In 1976 NZ was due to return to the Republic.
• By now South Africa was subject to a number
of sporting bans including since 1964, from
the Olympics.
• New Zealand had signed the Gleneagles
Agreement to ‘discourage’ sporting contact
with South Africa.
• The Government decided it could not stop its
citizens from travelling.
• African nations threatened to boycott the
Olympics if New Zealand was allowed to
attend.
• Rugby was no longer an Olympic sport so the
IOC had no control over the sport.
• New Zealand attended, 28 African nations
boycotted. 45

43. 46

44. 47

45. Soweto Riots
• An important issue amongst Blacks
was education. There was little
equality.
• The Government also made classes
in Afrikaans compulsory.
• In 1976 the children of Soweto
marched in opposition to this
policy.
• They were fired upon and rioting
broke out.
• The riots lasted only briefly, right in
the middle of the All Black tour.
• Several All Blacks even visited the
township during the riots.
48

46. Hector Petersen
Several hundred children were killed by SA
police. Estimates range from 200 to 700.
49

47. All Blacks visit Soweto...
50

48. 1977 Gleneagles Agreement
• New Zealand was a strong supporter of the ...the urgent duty of each of their
Governments vigorously to combat the
British Commonwealth of Nations.
evil of apartheid by withholding any
• Our most popular sports were played against form of support for, and by taking
the Commonwealth. every practical step to discourage
• Several agreements had been made contact or competition by their
supporting campaigns against apartheid and nationals with sporting organisations,
teams or sportsmen from South Africa
racism.
• It agreed to discourage sporting contact with
South Africa, without stipulating what that ...each Government to determine in
meant. accordance with its law the methods
by which it might best discharge
• Some countries were prepared to deny visas,
these commitments. But they
refuse leave for players or to work with recognised that the effective
organisations to stop further contact. fulfilment of their commitments was
• New Zealand signed the agreement. essential to the harmonious
development of Commonwealth
sport. 51

49. 1981 –A banacing Act
52

50. 53

51. 54

52. 1981: Individual Rights v Law & Order
• The 1981 tour by the Springboks is
considered a watershed in our national &
international politics.
• It changed everything.
• The previous year it had signed the
Gleneagles agreement to ‘discourage’
South African tours.
• The Govt. claimed it had no right to stop
the tour from proceeding.
• HART and CARE led the protests
• Initially about apartheid, the Government
turned it into a “Law and Order” issue.
• Games in Gisborne and Hamilton were
abandoned.
• The final game in Auckland turned the
suburb of Mt Eden into a battlefield. 55

53. 56

54. 57

55. 58

56. 59

57. 60

58. 61

59. 62

60. Protest and Violence: Hamilton
63

61. 64

62. 1981 Videos
1: Sport 3: New Tactics
65
2: Molesworth St 4: the Final Test

63. Patu
66

64. 1981 Aftermath
• New Zealand society was shocked at
the violence and divisions that
occurred during the 1981 tour.
• Rioting protestors and over vigorous
police were both condemned.
• Friendships, families and entire
communities were split over the tour.
• Some took years to reconcile, some
never have.
• Racism became a topical and hotly
debated issue.
• Rob Muldoon won the 1981 election
on the back of support for his “law and
order’ campaign.
• In 1985 a return tour to SA was
cancelled after a High Court Challenge
by two rugby players. 67

65. 68

66. 69

67. 1985 – Cez Blazey
70