Saturday 23 July 2011

New Zealand, South Africa, Rugby and apartheid: 30 years since the 1981 tour

The controversial 1981 Springbok tour, which divided NZ, began 30 years today. The South African Rugby tour was the focus of intense debate and protest throughout New Zealand and sport and politics became intensely mixed. The tour also acted as a catalyst for an examination of racism within New Zealand, with indigenous Maori people highlighting the connections between apartheid in South Africa and racism in New Zealand.

The Institute of Commonwealth Studies Library holds a selection of material relating to the anti-apartheid movement in New Zealand, including publications from the National Anti-Apartheid Committee, the Apartheid Information Centre, The Wellington Trades Council and Halt All Racist Tours (HART), as well as books looking back at that time such as Trevor Richard's Dancing on our bones : New Zealand, South Africa, rugby and racism and Malcom Templeton's Human rights and sporting contacts : New Zealand attitudes to race relations in South Africa 1921-94.

A photo gallery from the 1981 tour is available from the NZ Herald website.

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