EVENT: 1981 SPRINGBOK TOUR (THINK SOCIAL, POLITICAL,
ECONOMIC, SHORT AND LONG TERM)
CAUSES: APARTHEID, PREVIOUS TOURS, GLENEAGLES AGREEMENT,
MULDOON
CONSEQUENCES: DIVISION OF NZ SOCIETY, VIOLENT PROTESTS,
ACCUSATIONS OF POLICE BRUTALITY, COST TO THE TAXPAYER,
POLITICAL – EVENTUAL FALL OF MULDOON
The 1981 Springbok Tour of New Zealand was an incredibly significant event to both New Zealand and to the international community. Event identified The causes of the event and the reason it generated such conflict were a combination of social and political factors both within and outside New Zealand. Addressed causes The tour resulted in a huge cost to the taxpayer, a divided society, and had wide ranging political implications for both New Zealand and South Africa.
addressed consequences.
The 1981 Springbok Tour of New Zealand cannot be viewed as an isolated event; it was part of a much larger context that needs to be considered. South Africa was segregated according to race under the apartheid system;
Black Africans were denied civil rights and their inability to vote meant that bringing about change was impossible.
Over the twentieth century other nations addressed racial issues in attempts to bring about equality but South
Africa’s white government was resistant to any changes to the status quo. Increasingly South Africa came under pressure from the rest of the world to end apartheid.
First cause addressed and event put into context.
The reason this became an issue for New Zealand was rugby. Linking comment to second cause Rugby has long been a crucial part of New Zealand identity and South
Africa, alongside Australia, has traditionally been fierce competition. It became increasingly difficult to keep the issue of apartheid out of the rugby arena: Springbok commentators had made negative comments about our

‘native’ players. Evidence The issue was made worse by
South Africa’s refusal to allow Maori players to join tours to South Africa. This prompted anti-apartheid individuals in
New Zealand to protest tours with South Africa and HART,
Halt All Racist Tours, was formed.
evidence A significant number of New Zealanders were not only opposed to apartheid itself but also the impact that sporting contact with them was having on New Zealand: our international reputation and what was viewed as pushing their racist laws onto us. Hammering home the significance of the 2 nd cause
This issue came to a head with the election of Robert
Muldoon, conservative National, as Prime Minister.
Chronologically addressing causes. Deal with the shortest term cause last. Muldoon believed that allowing sporting contact with South Africa could only increase his national support and felt that this was what the majority of New
Zealanders wanted. Muldoon signed the 1977
Commonwealth Gleneagles Agreement that pushed for commonwealth nations to sever sporting links with South
Africa; however this did not prevent him from allowing the
1981 Springbok Tour to go ahead. In doing so, his ‘no politics in sport’ philosophy was tested to the limit and found to be impossible to maintain.
link into the event itself
The springbok tour of 1981 consisted of ___ games across both islands. New Zealand society was divided into those who were for the tour and those against it. The rugby games came second to the protests and violence they generated. addressing the event itself Molesworth St in Wellington became the scene of violent protests and accusations of police brutality, the Hamilton game was called off due to damage done by protestors and the game in Auckland saw flour bombs dropped by anti-tour protestors onto the field. Evidence Those involved in the protests cannot be generically described and their reasons

for getting involved are complex; the issue for many was more than simply apartheid in South Africa. Some were protesting Muldoon and his conservative government and the negative effect of contact with South Africa on our international reputation, others wanted to highlight racial discrimination and social inequity here in New Zealand, some were opposed to New Zealand rugby culture itself.
Analysis of the event.
There were many social consequences of the tour.
Families and friendships became strained due to differing allegiances. Insert evidence. The tour also highlighted the lie that many had believed about New Zealand being a nation living in ‘racial harmony.’
Insert evidence. It also demonstrated the conflict between ‘old’ New Zealand and
‘young.’ New Zealand. Insert evidence.
The tour also had political i mplications. Muldoon was initially proved correct in his belief that many New
Zealanders wanted the tour to go ahead when he was voted in again in the next election. However, the
Springbok Tour had unleashed a wave of anti-Muldoon sentiment and when he called a snap election in 1987, he lost in a landslide to David Lange and the Labour party.
Evidence 1981 was the last rugby tour of New Zealand by
South Africa until the end of apartheid.
Economic consequences also ensued. The tour has cost a great deal to police and there was also much damage to sporting venues and private property as a result of clashes between supporters and protestors. evidence Many taxpayers were outraged that they were lumped with the cost of these while Muldoon’s government and the NZRFU appeared to get off scott-free causing further tension.
The 1981 Springbok Tour and the resulting violence and tension was the result of simmering tensions over the

issue of the price of maintaining sporting contact with
South Africa. Muldoon’s decision to allow the tour to go ahead resulted in a divided nation, violent protest and a desire for political change.