The Cavaliers was an unofficial New Zealand
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
team which toured
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
in 1986. Because of the
Apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
policies of the South African government, the official New Zealand Rugby Union tour scheduled for 1985 was cancelled, and the Cavaliers tour was very controversial in New Zealand.
They played twelve matches, including a four-match test series against
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, which they lost 3—1.
History
After the intensely controversial
1981 South African tour of New Zealand, which had provoked nationwide protest and worldwide condemnation, the official All Black tour planned for 1985 was cancelled due to
a legal ruling that it would be incompatible with the
NZRFU's legally stated purpose: ''"...the fostering and encouragement of the game of rugby..."''
Of the 30 players who had been selected for the 1985 tour, only
David Kirk
David Edward Kirk (born 5 October 1960) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He is best known for having been the captain of the All Blacks when they won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987.
Early years
Kirk was born in Wellington an ...
and
John Kirwan did not join the Cavaliers. The rebel team were widely believed to have received large secret payments—a controversial issue at a time when rugby union was still supposedly an amateur sport.
The Cavaliers were coached by
Colin Meads
Sir Colin Earl Meads (3 June 1936 – 20 August 2017) was a New Zealand rugby union player. He played 55 test matches (133 games), most frequently in the lock forward position, for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks, from 1957 until 19 ...
, managed by
Ian Kirkpatrick
Ian Andrew Kirkpatrick (born 24 May 1946) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. Described as "supremely athletic, fast, fearless and with an uncanny sense of anticipation", Kirkpatrick is widely regarded as one of the greatest flankers t ...
and captained by
Andy Dalton
Andrew Gregory Dalton (born October 29, 1987) is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Red Rifle", Dalton previously played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, and ...
and won just one of the four matches against
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, although they won seven of their eight other games on the tour. Dalton suffered a broken jaw in the second match of the tour against Northern Transvaal and played no more rugby that season,
Jock Hobbs
Michael James Bowie Hobbs (15 February 1960 – 13 March 2012), generally known as Jock Hobbs, was a New Zealand rugby union player and administrator. A Flanker (rugby union), flanker, he played for Canterbury Rugby Football Union, Canter ...
assumed the captaincy for the test matches against the
Springboks
The South Africa national rugby union team, commonly known as the Springboks (colloquially the Boks, Bokke or Amabokoboko), is the country's national team governed by the South African Rugby Union. The Springboks play in green and gold jersey ...
while
Andy Haden
Andrew Maxwell Haden (26 September 195029 July 2020) was a New Zealand rugby union player and All Black captain. He played at lock for Auckland and New Zealand from 1972 until 1985. He also played club rugby in the United Kingdom and Italy.
Li ...
did the same for the midweek matches.
The tour was widely condemned for touring
apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
South Africa, and very controversial within New Zealand, and there were no future rugby contacts until the
South African apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid ...
regime ended. The
return test that marked the return of South Africa to official international Rugby Union in 1992 would again be held against a New Zealand side, this time the official All Blacks.
The players found that support for their actions was far less than they had expected. On their return, the NZRFU barred all the players from participating in the next two All Black tests, and instead selected a new group of players. Most of these replacement players were younger, and were quickly dubbed the "Baby Blacks". Those new All Blacks went on to form the basis of one of the most successful periods in All Black rugby, which resulted in a few Cavalier players struggling to get their places back.
It is, however, debatable to what extent the tour had a significant effect on the international careers of many of the players. The squad included players in the prime of their career, players approaching retirement anyway who had not recently played for New Zealand, and uncapped prospects, and as such, subsequent All Black appearances or a lack of these reflected this fact. 10 members of the Cavaliers (Fox, Taylor, Green, Crowley, Shelford, both Whetton brothers, Anderson, Pierce, and McDowell) all subsequently played for the New Zealand side that won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, and Dalton was named in the squad for the World Cup, but withdrew following injury, and retired.
Another 7 players (Osbourne, Clamp, Fraser, Deans, Donald, Crichton, and Frank Shelford) never played again for New Zealand, but their international careers were effectively over long before the tour had even begun, having not played for New Zealand for between 2 and 5 years beforehand.
John Mills had never been capped at test level before the tour, and retired from both domestic and international rugby at the end of the season anyway, while Dave Loveridge and Jock Hobbs, both of whom had previously been capped internationally, similarly retired from all rugby at the end of the 1986 season owing to a knee injury and a series of concussions respectively.
Not being able to play in the official jersey, the team wore a black uniform, with bands of gold in honour of the tour sponsor, the South African Yellow Pages,
who also covered the stay expenses for the team.
The emblem consisted of a gold background with a green oval in which an upright silver fern accompanied by a Springbok appeared.
Management
*
Colin Meads
Sir Colin Earl Meads (3 June 1936 – 20 August 2017) was a New Zealand rugby union player. He played 55 test matches (133 games), most frequently in the lock forward position, for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks, from 1957 until 19 ...
(King Country) (coach)
*
Ian Kirkpatrick
Ian Andrew Kirkpatrick (born 24 May 1946) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. Described as "supremely athletic, fast, fearless and with an uncanny sense of anticipation", Kirkpatrick is widely regarded as one of the greatest flankers t ...
(Poverty Bay) (manager)
Backs
*
Robbie Deans
Robert Maxwell Deans (born 4 September 1959) is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player, currently the head coach of Japanese club Panasonic Wild Knights. He was head coach of the Australian national team between 2008 and 2013. Deans had ...
(Canterbury)
*
Kieran Crowley
Kieran James Crowley (born 31 August 1961) is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player, who is the head coach of Italy. He has also coached the New Zealand Under-19s in the 2007 World Championships as well as coaching provincial side T ...
(Taranaki)
*
Bernie Fraser (Wellington)
*
Mike Clamp (Wellington)
*
Craig Green (Canterbury)
*
Bill Osborne
William Michael Osborne (born 24 April 1955) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A second five-eighth and centre, Osborne represented Wanganui and Waikato at a provincial level. Started his club career with the local Kaierau Rugby Union ...
(Wanganui)
*
Steven Pokere
Steven Tahurata Pokere (born 11 August 1958) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A second five-eighth and centre, Pokere represented Southland, Auckland and Wellington at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national ...
(Auckland)
*
Bryce Robins
Bryce B. Robins (born 19 September 1980) is a New Zealand-born Japanese rugby union player who plays as a centre for the Munakata Sanix Blues in the Top League and Japan. He played for the Hurricanes in 2002 and 2003.
On 22 April 2007, Robins m ...
(Taranaki)
*
Victor Simpson (Canterbury)
*
Warwick Taylor
Warwick Thomas Taylor (born 11 March 1960) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He won 24 caps for the All Blacks between 1983 and 1988 and played in the victorious New Zealand team at the 1987 Rugby World Cup.
Since retiring from rugb ...
(Canterbury)
*
Wayne Smith (Canterbury)
*
Grant Fox
Grant James Fox (born 16 June 1962) is a former rugby union player from New Zealand. He was a member of the All Blacks team that won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987. He is also the father of professional golfer, Ryan Fox.
Playing career ...
(Auckland)
*
Dave Loveridge
David Steven Loveridge (born 22 April 1952) is an All Black of the late 1970s and early 1980s, known in his time as the greatest halfback in the world.
Life and career
Loveridge was born in 1952, in Stratford, New Zealand, to Horace and Marg ...
(Taranaki)
*
Andrew Donald
Andrew John Donald (born 11 May 1957) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A Rugby union positions#scrum-half, halfback, Donald represented Wanganui Rugby Football Union, Wanganui at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand ...
(Wanganui)
Forwards
*
Murray Mexted
Murray Graham Mexted (born 5 September 1953) is a former New Zealand rugby union player who played 34 consecutive tests for the All Blacks from 1979 to 1985. He also played 38 non-test games including 7 as captain. During his time with the All B ...
(Wellington)
*
Wayne Shelford
Sir Wayne Thomas "Buck" Shelford (born 13 December 1957) is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer and coach who represented and captained New Zealand (the All Blacks) in the late 1980s. He is also credited with revitalising the performance ...
(North Harbour)
*
Jock Hobbs
Michael James Bowie Hobbs (15 February 1960 – 13 March 2012), generally known as Jock Hobbs, was a New Zealand rugby union player and administrator. A Flanker (rugby union), flanker, he played for Canterbury Rugby Football Union, Canter ...
(Canterbury)
*
Mark Shaw (Hawke's Bay)
*
Frank Shelford (Bay of Plenty)
*
Alan Whetton (Auckland)
*
Andy Haden
Andrew Maxwell Haden (26 September 195029 July 2020) was a New Zealand rugby union player and All Black captain. He played at lock for Auckland and New Zealand from 1972 until 1985. He also played club rugby in the United Kingdom and Italy.
Li ...
(Auckland)
*
Albert Anderson (Canterbury)
*
Gary Whetton
Gary William Whetton (born 15 December 1959) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He played 180 matches for Auckland, and 58 tests (15 as captain) at lock for the All Blacks from 1981 to 1991. He serves on the Auckland Blues board and was ...
(Auckland)
*
Murray Pierce
Murray James Pierce (born 1 November 1957) is a former New Zealand rugby union player who played as a lock forward. He won 26 caps for the All Blacks between 1984 and 1989 and played in the victorious New Zealand team at the 1987 Rugby World Cu ...
(Wellington)
*
John Ashworth John Ashworth may refer to:
* John Ashworth (cricketer) (1850–1901), English cricketer
* John Ashworth (footballer), English professional footballer
* John Ashworth (judge) (1906–1975), England judge and barrister
*John Ashworth (preacher) (181 ...
(Hawke's Bay)
*
Gary Knight
Gary Knight (born 1964) is an Anglo-American photographer, editor and author. Co-founder of the VII Photo Agency, co-founder and CEO of the VII Foundation and founder and CEO of the VII Academy.
Life and work
Knight was born in 1964 in Oakham ...
(Manawatu)
*
Steve McDowall (Auckland)
*
Scott Crichton (Wellington)
*
Andy Dalton
Andrew Gregory Dalton (born October 29, 1987) is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Red Rifle", Dalton previously played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, and ...
(Counties) (Captain)
*
John Mills
Sir John Mills (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 190823 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portra ...
(Canterbury)
[Replacement player on tour.]
*
Hika Reid
Hikatarewa Rockcliffe "Hika" Reid (born 8 April 1958) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A hooker, Reid represented Bay of Plenty and Wellington at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks
...
(Bay of Plenty)
Matches
:''Scores and results list New Zealand's points tally first.''
See also
*
1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand
*
Sporting boycott of South Africa during the apartheid era
South Africa under apartheid was subjected to a variety of international boycotts, including on sporting contacts. There was some debate about whether the aim of the boycott was to oppose segregation in sport or apartheid in general, with the la ...
*
South Africa under apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
References
{{Rugby Tours in South Africa
New Zealand and the Commonwealth of Nations
South Africa and the Commonwealth of Nations
New Zealand rugby union teams
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal ente ...
New Zealand Cavaliers
The Cavaliers was an unofficial New Zealand rugby union team which toured South Africa in 1986. Because of the Apartheid policies of the South African government, the official New Zealand Rugby Union tour scheduled for 1985 was cancelled, and th ...
Events associated with apartheid
1986 in South African rugby union
cavaliers
The term Cavalier () was first used by Roundheads as a term of abuse for the wealthier royalist supporters of King Charles I and his son Charles II of England during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration (1642 – ). It ...
Rugby union and apartheid
Sports scandals in New Zealand