The 1981 Springbok Tour and explosive revelations

The 1981 Springbok tour caused so much concern across the Tasman that the Australian Government considered barring New Zealand from the 1982 Brisbane Games, according to just released official documents.

In Politics, Sport

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16th June, 2012

New Zealanders remember the 1981 Springbok tour all too well. The storming of the pitch in Hamilton, the police clashing with protesters in Wellington and the flour-bombing of Eden Park were dramatic examples of how the tour divided the country. But recently released documents have shed further light on how the tour also divided the Commonwealth. When the New Zealand Rugby Football Union council decided the All Blacks would tour South Africa in 1976, many New Zealanders were shocked by the consequences.Twenty-eight African nations boycotted the ’76 Summer Olympics in Montreal in protest. ...

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