Apartheid
Key Historical Idea: The Racist Policy of Apartheid led to issues surrounding Springbok Tours and New Zealand’s reputation.
In 1948 South Africa introduced the policy of Apartheid. It was a policy that advocated ‘separate but equal development’ for whites and non-whites in South Africa. This policy effectively turned non-whites into second class citizens and a loss of rights occurred. Inter-racial mixing was strictly prohibited, this meant separation of trains, buses, stairways, toilets and other public facilities. Non-whites were forcibly removed out of designated white areas and were not allowed to play in sports teams with whites, such as the Springbok rugby team. This also included
other nation’s rugby teams when playing the Springboks. Great resistance to this law emerged within South Africa, along with extreme police brutality. 236 people were killed in the Soweto riots of 1976. International pressure on South Africa increased to end its policy of apartheid. Many nations ended all sporting contact with South Africa until its policy changed. However New Zealand did not break contact and for this reason international opinion swung against New Zealand, as Muldoon’s government refused to prevent upcoming Springbok Tours.
New Zealand accepted an invitation to tour South Africa in 1976 shortly after the Soweto Riots. World attention was fixed on South Africa for this reason and international condemnation was sparked against New Zealand as under the conditions it was considered intolerable for an All Black Tour of South Africa to go ahead. New Zealand’s reputation plummeted. Thirty countries boycotted the 1976 Montreal Olympics just because a New Zealand team would be attending. Concerns were raised over our sporting contact with South Africa in the Commonwealth and United Nations. There was even talk of New Zealand being evicted all together from the Commonwealth.
In 1948 South Africa introduced the policy of Apartheid. It was a policy that advocated ‘separate but equal development’ for whites and non-whites in South Africa. This policy effectively turned non-whites into second class citizens and a loss of rights occurred. Inter-racial mixing was strictly prohibited, this meant separation of trains, buses, stairways, toilets and other public facilities. Non-whites were forcibly removed out of designated white areas and were not allowed to play in sports teams with whites, such as the Springbok rugby team. This also included
other nation’s rugby teams when playing the Springboks. Great resistance to this law emerged within South Africa, along with extreme police brutality. 236 people were killed in the Soweto riots of 1976. International pressure on South Africa increased to end its policy of apartheid. Many nations ended all sporting contact with South Africa until its policy changed. However New Zealand did not break contact and for this reason international opinion swung against New Zealand, as Muldoon’s government refused to prevent upcoming Springbok Tours.
New Zealand accepted an invitation to tour South Africa in 1976 shortly after the Soweto Riots. World attention was fixed on South Africa for this reason and international condemnation was sparked against New Zealand as under the conditions it was considered intolerable for an All Black Tour of South Africa to go ahead. New Zealand’s reputation plummeted. Thirty countries boycotted the 1976 Montreal Olympics just because a New Zealand team would be attending. Concerns were raised over our sporting contact with South Africa in the Commonwealth and United Nations. There was even talk of New Zealand being evicted all together from the Commonwealth.