1981 Springbok Tour Protests

1
1981 Springbok Tour Protests A timeline of events
2
1921
First official series South Africa played in
New Zealand
3
1948

• Apartheid becomes a legal system, under National
  Government led by Daniel Malan.

4
1950s

• New Zealand considered peaceful, prosperous and
  integrated

5
1960

• No Maori, no tour - petition signed against
  sending a race-based team.

6
1968

• United Nations called for a sporting boycott
  against South Africa

7
1969

• Halt Against Racist Tours was founded by
  University of Auckland students

8
1970

• New Zealand Rugby Football Union did not select
  Maori players to tour South Africa up until this
  time.
• New Zealand tour to South Africa multiracial
  team because Maori were considered as 'honourary
  whites'

9
1972

• Norman Kirk, Labour opposition leader, promised
  not to interfere with the 1973 Tour in the lead
  up to the election.

10
1973

• Tour postponed

11
1974

• Christchurch hosted the Commonwealth Games
• Black South African nations threatened to boycott
  the games if the tour in 1973 went ahead.

12
1975

• Robert Muldoon said the National government would
  welcome a tour of the Springboks to New Zealand

13
1976

• All Blacks tour to South Africa
• Black African nations boycott the Montreal
  Olympics
• Soweto riots

14
1977

• Commonwealth heads of state meeting
• Gleneagles Agreement

15
1980

• New Zealand Rugby Football Union invite
  Springboks to tour New Zealand in response to
  Muldoon's attitude towards Keep Politics Out Of
  Sport

16
1981

• John Minto national organiser for Halt Against
  Racist Tours
• 19 July Springboks arrived for the tour

17
22 July 1981

• Gisborne

18
25 July 1981

• Hamilton

19
29 July 1981

• Molesworth Street, Wellington protest violence

20
15 August 1981

• First test in Christchurch

21
29 August 1981

• Second test in Wellington

22
12 September 1981

• Third test in Auckland

23
1992

• Teams selected on the bias of race, due to
  Apartheid, up until this time.

24
1995

• Rugby went professional