Groups involved in the protests
HART (Halt all racist tours)
This was a protest group set up in New Zealand 1969 to protest against rugby union tours to and from South Africa. HART was committed to non-violent protests. It enabled diverse groups to work together with the same intentions. These groups included trade unions, religious groups, women’s service groups, university groups and Maori groups.
John Minto was the national organiser for HART during the 1981 Springbok tour and became one of the public faces of the anti-tour movement. He attracted special criticism from Muldoon and pro-tour supporters. In an interview after the tour, John Minto said the reasoning behind forming this group was “so that New Zealand could have a really positive effect on what is a crime against humanity being perpetrated in South Africa”
In another interview after the tour, he speaks of the subsequent effects of the tour. He says, “The most important impact of the tour in New Zealand was to stimulate the whole debate about racism and about the place of Maori in our community. In South Africa the tour helped to bring a quicker end to the apartheid regime, along with all the other pressures from all around the world. The huge disappointment for me, though, is the fact that while black South Africans have gained political rights in South Africa, their economic positions, their social position is in many cases worse than it was than when they were under white minority rule and that is because of the free market policies being followed by the ANC government.”
CARE (Citizens Association for Racial Equality)
This was a New Zealand organisation that campaigned to eliminate all sporting contacts with South Africa so long as it practiced apartheid. The group was created in 1964 and was in operation until 1986. Its long term secretary was Tom Newnman. The group organised resistance to any links with South Africa during the apartheid era. In particular, it was heavily involved in the huge protests against the 1981 Springbok tour.
Cez Blazey
Blazey was the chairman of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union(NZRFU) in 1981. The NZRFU wanted the Springboks to tour here to play against the All Blacks because it was said to be the national sport in both countries and South Africa were considered to be New Zealand's most formidable opponents. Despite the pressure from the public on the Rugby Union to cancel the tour, it was decided that it would maintain the sporting contract with South Arica and the tour would proceed in the July of 1981.
Ron Don
Don was chairman of the Auckland Rugby Union, and was on the council of the New Zealand Rugby Union. He was a very great rugby supporter and was one of the fiercest pro-tour supporters through the tour. He gave the pro- tour movement a public face and took a strong stance on the Springbok tour because of the legacy of rugby as the national sport. He got very verbal towards the anti-tour movement, claiming many in the protests were involved solely to fight with the police, not to make a stand against apartheid. In an interview by close up Don states, " I do not regret anything that was said or done in 1981" and then goes on to say, "We won. We beat the protestors; we beat the media, and most important of all we beat the Springboks"
Reference: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz
This was a protest group set up in New Zealand 1969 to protest against rugby union tours to and from South Africa. HART was committed to non-violent protests. It enabled diverse groups to work together with the same intentions. These groups included trade unions, religious groups, women’s service groups, university groups and Maori groups.
John Minto was the national organiser for HART during the 1981 Springbok tour and became one of the public faces of the anti-tour movement. He attracted special criticism from Muldoon and pro-tour supporters. In an interview after the tour, John Minto said the reasoning behind forming this group was “so that New Zealand could have a really positive effect on what is a crime against humanity being perpetrated in South Africa”
In another interview after the tour, he speaks of the subsequent effects of the tour. He says, “The most important impact of the tour in New Zealand was to stimulate the whole debate about racism and about the place of Maori in our community. In South Africa the tour helped to bring a quicker end to the apartheid regime, along with all the other pressures from all around the world. The huge disappointment for me, though, is the fact that while black South Africans have gained political rights in South Africa, their economic positions, their social position is in many cases worse than it was than when they were under white minority rule and that is because of the free market policies being followed by the ANC government.”
CARE (Citizens Association for Racial Equality)
This was a New Zealand organisation that campaigned to eliminate all sporting contacts with South Africa so long as it practiced apartheid. The group was created in 1964 and was in operation until 1986. Its long term secretary was Tom Newnman. The group organised resistance to any links with South Africa during the apartheid era. In particular, it was heavily involved in the huge protests against the 1981 Springbok tour.
Cez Blazey
Blazey was the chairman of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union(NZRFU) in 1981. The NZRFU wanted the Springboks to tour here to play against the All Blacks because it was said to be the national sport in both countries and South Africa were considered to be New Zealand's most formidable opponents. Despite the pressure from the public on the Rugby Union to cancel the tour, it was decided that it would maintain the sporting contract with South Arica and the tour would proceed in the July of 1981.
Ron Don
Don was chairman of the Auckland Rugby Union, and was on the council of the New Zealand Rugby Union. He was a very great rugby supporter and was one of the fiercest pro-tour supporters through the tour. He gave the pro- tour movement a public face and took a strong stance on the Springbok tour because of the legacy of rugby as the national sport. He got very verbal towards the anti-tour movement, claiming many in the protests were involved solely to fight with the police, not to make a stand against apartheid. In an interview by close up Don states, " I do not regret anything that was said or done in 1981" and then goes on to say, "We won. We beat the protestors; we beat the media, and most important of all we beat the Springboks"
Reference: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz