The selection of the Springbok rugby team
South Africa selected their Springbok rugby team on race and not on merit. South African sports teams were selected based on race because the apartheid system involved the classification of people by race and enforced the second-class treatment of blacks living in South Africa. There were a number of reasons to the New Zealand protestor’s holding such strong opinions on the opposition to the county hosting a racially selected team. They believed it was completely immoral to allow the 'White-only' Springbok team to play here because it sent a message that New Zealand did not mind South Africa’s racist policies of apartheid. The enforcement of the apartheid system also meant that Maori's were not allowed to play for the All Black's when they travelled to South Africa. The Springbok team was scheduled to play in New Zealand in 1981. Many opposed this because their team represented pride of the racist dictatorship in South Africa. The team reflected the cruel apartheid system and was an insult to all the good sporting principles of “equal opportunity” and “fair play”. Many New Zealanders were demonstrating against the apartheid system and its product of “racist sport”. By New Zealand letting the Springbok's travel here, it was said to be putting rugby ahead of principle which was ripping the nation apart.
Reference: http://digital-library.canterbury.ac.nz/data/library3/archives/113558.pdf
http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/theme.aspx?irn=2440
Reference: http://digital-library.canterbury.ac.nz/data/library3/archives/113558.pdf
http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/theme.aspx?irn=2440