Significance to New Zealand and South Africa
New Zealand gradually returned to normal after the Springbok team left, however bitter memories remained. The moral argument split families and workplaces. The impact of the protests were felt in South Africa and helped inspire political prisoners.
The anti-apartheid movement in South Africa was buoyed by the events of the Springbok Tour in New Zealand. Nelson Mandela recalled that when he was in his prison cell on Robin Island and heard that the game in Hamilton had been cancelled; it was as ‘if the sun had come out’. Some back home in New Zealand maintained that how South Africans ran their country was none of our business and criticised the anti-tour movement for being run by ‘rent-a-mob’ demonstrators interested only in fighting the police. They maintained that politics should be kept out of sport. However New Zealand's opposition to Springbok rugby encounters did have an impact on the South African policy of Apartheid. It showed many South Africans that they had no option other to adapt to racial equality. The protests gave political prisoners and South African political parties hope that the policy of Apartheid could be challenged and changed.
In 1984 the Muldoon government was swept away in a Labour landslide after public opinion changed after the Springbok Tour. The new government introduced nuclear-free legislation and enabled homosexual law reform, both of which struck at the core of what might have been described as the values and image of New Zealand society.
Racism at home was also addressed as New Zealand looked at racism towards Maori. John Minto believed that the protests helped improve the situation for Maori, as it opened doors for The Waitangi Tribunal to be started and address grievances. This was of extreme significance to New Zealanders and had a big impact on our society.
“I think one of the critical things that happened as a result of that Tour and the protests, had in fact a bigger effect within New Zealand than a lasting effect within South Africa. But what it did was things like the Waitangi Tribunal, up until then they could only look at issues which were new grievances, but after the Tour and that whole upwelling of debate and arguments about racism here, people started to realise you can’t protest against racism 6,000 miles away when it’s right here in your country… and a few years later the Tribunal was able to look at past grievances. There was a big movement in recognizing racism in our own country and giving Maori a place to stand in their own land.”
-John Minto.
Divided Loyalties Cartoon Depicted below shows a split between friends , family, etc. over opposing opinions on the Springbok Tour.
The anti-apartheid movement in South Africa was buoyed by the events of the Springbok Tour in New Zealand. Nelson Mandela recalled that when he was in his prison cell on Robin Island and heard that the game in Hamilton had been cancelled; it was as ‘if the sun had come out’. Some back home in New Zealand maintained that how South Africans ran their country was none of our business and criticised the anti-tour movement for being run by ‘rent-a-mob’ demonstrators interested only in fighting the police. They maintained that politics should be kept out of sport. However New Zealand's opposition to Springbok rugby encounters did have an impact on the South African policy of Apartheid. It showed many South Africans that they had no option other to adapt to racial equality. The protests gave political prisoners and South African political parties hope that the policy of Apartheid could be challenged and changed.
In 1984 the Muldoon government was swept away in a Labour landslide after public opinion changed after the Springbok Tour. The new government introduced nuclear-free legislation and enabled homosexual law reform, both of which struck at the core of what might have been described as the values and image of New Zealand society.
Racism at home was also addressed as New Zealand looked at racism towards Maori. John Minto believed that the protests helped improve the situation for Maori, as it opened doors for The Waitangi Tribunal to be started and address grievances. This was of extreme significance to New Zealanders and had a big impact on our society.
“I think one of the critical things that happened as a result of that Tour and the protests, had in fact a bigger effect within New Zealand than a lasting effect within South Africa. But what it did was things like the Waitangi Tribunal, up until then they could only look at issues which were new grievances, but after the Tour and that whole upwelling of debate and arguments about racism here, people started to realise you can’t protest against racism 6,000 miles away when it’s right here in your country… and a few years later the Tribunal was able to look at past grievances. There was a big movement in recognizing racism in our own country and giving Maori a place to stand in their own land.”
-John Minto.
Divided Loyalties Cartoon Depicted below shows a split between friends , family, etc. over opposing opinions on the Springbok Tour.