Significance and Impact on New Zealand Society
The 1981 Springbok Tour protest had a great impact on New Zealander’s lives and is a significant part of the country’s history. It is a time in which the country was divided and many different individuals took a political stance in the game that has been loved by almost every New Zealander. There were many different reasons and occurrences both nationally and internationally that led to the overwhelming sense of commitment to the cause, that ultimately resulted in New Zealanders taking such a dramatic opposition to the tour.
It is a time that is known by almost every generation of New Zealanders. Despite the true feeling of significance of the tour being reduced in today’s society; it was a major event that put New Zealand on the international stage and brought great limelight to New Zealand and particularly New Zealand policies and sporting organizations. New Zealanders throughout the event were greatly affected, with their lives dramatically moved. Almost every New Zealander was touched by either opposition or support for the tour. The tour protest could be seen as very greatly successful. During the tour not only did the protesters manage to stop and cause the cancellation of several games, they also brought much attention to the cause in South Africa that was so dire for international recognition and intervention. It also is recognized as one of the causes for the collapse of the apartheid regime.
Another aspect of the tour protest movement that has great significance to New Zealand society is the fact that while fighting against the injustice of racial inequality of apartheid, the racial differences were brought to light here in New Zealand regarding some of the inequalities that existed between Maori and Pakeha people. Maori people then received a slight increase in living and social standings between Maori and Pakeha people were more evened.
Country Divided
The tour, causing 8 weeks of distress and tension in NZ, resulted in almost 2000 people being arrested. Families were torn in bitter disagreements on the issue. One man recalls “My family were very rugby oriented; my growing up was weekends with rugby. I knew that I had to make a decision whether I was for or against the tour and am I going to be actively for that decision. I knew straight away what the family’s stand would be; I knew that there would be come conflict within the family – I didn’t want to face what would come out of it. The question was directly put to me “Are you going to go on marches” and I just said “yes”. There wasn’t a concern for me and my safety, and my reasons why – it was seen as an irresponsible action. I realised to cope with it, I would just have to keep away.. Family’s still pretty strained. Do I just keep myself apart, do I make an effort to go back there, not pretending that things haven’t happened? The family’s reaction is to laugh about it, to patch it up, but I haven’t allowed that to happen”.
A front line man from the protests, Trevor Richards received many different hate phone calls. He described one ‘“You nigger-loving bastard! We’re going to blast your brains out! You’re dead already!”. Click. Silence. Ring ring – ‘hello’ – silence – click. Silence – ring ring.. with a tight feeling of fear and apprehension in my stomach I close the study door, retire to bed and reassure my wife that it’s OK. They’ll stop ringing if we take no notice. The telephone gives up its incessant ringing half an hour later, at 11:30pm”
There was also a great feeling of unjust and anger towards the New Zealand government from the public and protestors. One Pakeha lady recounts “I felt angry with the government, for not quite supporting apartheid, but still letting the Springboks come. New Zealand put a loophole in other countries’ boycott of South Africa by letting them come. If New Zealand broke the lines a bit, other countries would come in with New Zelanad, and it was as though it would be all right – we could forget about apartheid”. David Lange’s government was elected back into power in the 1984 election; one of their party’s policies was the promise that there would no more tours. The South African embassy was soon closed in retaliation to the position the Labour government took; which was ignored by the NZ Rugby Union who later made a suggestion for an All Black tour to South Africa in 1985. The tour was however stopped when two players took to the court for action.
The tour further added to New Zealand’s notoriety, and the Muldoon government was criticized immensely for the sporting ties being intact with the condemned South Africa; however in contrast the protest that New Zealanders undertook impressed many Africans.
Apartheid Collapsing
Apartheid came to an end in 1990 with the first black President, Nelson Mandela, elected in 1994. He gave the former apartheid Prime Minister F.W. de Klerk the role as one of his deputies in what he called a ‘government of unity’. F.W. de Klerk later apologized in 1997 on the national stage: ‘I apologize in my capacity as leader of the National Party to the millions who suffered the wrenching disruption of forced removals; who suffered the shame of being arrested for past law offences; who over the decades suffered the indignities and humiliation of racial discrimination.” Nelson Mandela acknowledged and thanked New Zealand society for its role in helping to abolish apartheid and force the change in South African culture.
It is a time that is known by almost every generation of New Zealanders. Despite the true feeling of significance of the tour being reduced in today’s society; it was a major event that put New Zealand on the international stage and brought great limelight to New Zealand and particularly New Zealand policies and sporting organizations. New Zealanders throughout the event were greatly affected, with their lives dramatically moved. Almost every New Zealander was touched by either opposition or support for the tour. The tour protest could be seen as very greatly successful. During the tour not only did the protesters manage to stop and cause the cancellation of several games, they also brought much attention to the cause in South Africa that was so dire for international recognition and intervention. It also is recognized as one of the causes for the collapse of the apartheid regime.
Another aspect of the tour protest movement that has great significance to New Zealand society is the fact that while fighting against the injustice of racial inequality of apartheid, the racial differences were brought to light here in New Zealand regarding some of the inequalities that existed between Maori and Pakeha people. Maori people then received a slight increase in living and social standings between Maori and Pakeha people were more evened.
Country Divided
The tour, causing 8 weeks of distress and tension in NZ, resulted in almost 2000 people being arrested. Families were torn in bitter disagreements on the issue. One man recalls “My family were very rugby oriented; my growing up was weekends with rugby. I knew that I had to make a decision whether I was for or against the tour and am I going to be actively for that decision. I knew straight away what the family’s stand would be; I knew that there would be come conflict within the family – I didn’t want to face what would come out of it. The question was directly put to me “Are you going to go on marches” and I just said “yes”. There wasn’t a concern for me and my safety, and my reasons why – it was seen as an irresponsible action. I realised to cope with it, I would just have to keep away.. Family’s still pretty strained. Do I just keep myself apart, do I make an effort to go back there, not pretending that things haven’t happened? The family’s reaction is to laugh about it, to patch it up, but I haven’t allowed that to happen”.
A front line man from the protests, Trevor Richards received many different hate phone calls. He described one ‘“You nigger-loving bastard! We’re going to blast your brains out! You’re dead already!”. Click. Silence. Ring ring – ‘hello’ – silence – click. Silence – ring ring.. with a tight feeling of fear and apprehension in my stomach I close the study door, retire to bed and reassure my wife that it’s OK. They’ll stop ringing if we take no notice. The telephone gives up its incessant ringing half an hour later, at 11:30pm”
There was also a great feeling of unjust and anger towards the New Zealand government from the public and protestors. One Pakeha lady recounts “I felt angry with the government, for not quite supporting apartheid, but still letting the Springboks come. New Zealand put a loophole in other countries’ boycott of South Africa by letting them come. If New Zealand broke the lines a bit, other countries would come in with New Zelanad, and it was as though it would be all right – we could forget about apartheid”. David Lange’s government was elected back into power in the 1984 election; one of their party’s policies was the promise that there would no more tours. The South African embassy was soon closed in retaliation to the position the Labour government took; which was ignored by the NZ Rugby Union who later made a suggestion for an All Black tour to South Africa in 1985. The tour was however stopped when two players took to the court for action.
The tour further added to New Zealand’s notoriety, and the Muldoon government was criticized immensely for the sporting ties being intact with the condemned South Africa; however in contrast the protest that New Zealanders undertook impressed many Africans.
Apartheid Collapsing
Apartheid came to an end in 1990 with the first black President, Nelson Mandela, elected in 1994. He gave the former apartheid Prime Minister F.W. de Klerk the role as one of his deputies in what he called a ‘government of unity’. F.W. de Klerk later apologized in 1997 on the national stage: ‘I apologize in my capacity as leader of the National Party to the millions who suffered the wrenching disruption of forced removals; who suffered the shame of being arrested for past law offences; who over the decades suffered the indignities and humiliation of racial discrimination.” Nelson Mandela acknowledged and thanked New Zealand society for its role in helping to abolish apartheid and force the change in South African culture.
Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first Black President, the end of Apartheid is celebrated
(http://www.biography.com/imported/images/Biography/Images/Galleries/Nelson%20Mandela/nelson-mandela-thumb.jpg )
(http://www.biography.com/imported/images/Biography/Images/Galleries/Nelson%20Mandela/nelson-mandela-thumb.jpg )