The 1971 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia was a controversial six-week

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 it ...

tour by 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 ...

to Australia. Anti-

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 ...

protests came to being all around the country. The tour is perhaps most infamous for a state of emergency being declared in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

. In total, around 700 people were arrested whilst the Springboks were on tour.

Overview

The first games were then played in

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

and

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...

, which were disrupted mainly by youth-led protesters. The third match was set to take place in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. A 5,000 strong crowd, made up mostly of university students, gathered in the streets of Melbourne to march on

Olympic Park An Olympic Park is a sports campus for hosting the Olympic Games. Typically it contains the Olympic Stadium and the International Broadcast Centre. It may also contain the Olympic Village or some of the other sports venues, such as the aquatics ...

in protest. Police had set up a wall of units around the stadium, around 650 policemen many armed with batons and some on horseback. In Sydney, several people, including the Secretary of the New South Wales Builders Labourers Federation, attempted to saw down the goal posts at the Sydney Cricket Ground prior to the match. In addition, a gigantic anti-apartheid effigy was hung from the

Sydney Harbour Bridge The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, spanning Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour from the Sydney central business district, central business district (CBD) to the North Shore (Sydney), North Shore. The view of the bridg ...

but subsequently cut down. Queensland premier

Joh Bjelke-Petersen Sir Johannes Bjelke-Petersen (13 January 191123 April 2005), known as Joh Bjelke-Petersen, was a conservative Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, during ...

declared a month-long state of emergency. Protests at the Tower Mill Motel where the South African team were staying were responded to by police. The game was instead played at the Exhibition Ground, being moved from its original venue at Ballymore, as it was deemed easier to erect barricades at the Exhibition Ground. A two-metre chain wire fence was erected to separate players and spectators. According to

Meredith Burgmann Meredith Anne Burgmann (born 26 July 1947) is an Australian politician and Labor Party member and a former President of the New South Wales Legislative Council. Early years Burgmann was born in July 1947 at Beecroft, New South Wales to pare ...

and Peter McGregor, both leading firebrands, the rugby tour was a crucial target but to stop the summer's cricketing visit was the ultimate goal.James Middleton, 17 November 1993, Greenleft Weekly, '
the rules: the campaign in Australia against apartheid
'', Retrieved 22 March 2015. This was an extensive interview conducted by Middleton with McGregor from the documentary ''Political Football'', which concerned the anti-apartheid protests in Australia during the early 1970s. They were successful in this regard as the cricket tour was called off due to security reasons.

Fixtures

''Scores and results list South Africa's points tally first.''

Touring group

* Manager Flappie Lochner * Coach Johan Claassen Hookers * Piston van Wyk * Robbie Barnard Props * Hannes Marais (capt) * Sakkie Sauermann * Martiens Louw Locks * Frik du Preez * John Williams * Johan Spies Loose Forwards * Tommy Bedford * Morne du Plessis * Jan Ellis * Piet Greyling * Thys Lourens * Albie Bates as replacement Fullbacks * Ian McCallum * Tonie Roux Wings * Syd Nomis * Gert Muller * Hannes Viljoen * Andy van der Watt as replacement Centres * Peter Cronje * Joggie Jansen * Peter Swanson Flyhalves * Piet Visagie * Dawie Snyman Scrumhalves * Joggie Viljoen * Dirk de Vos

Test matches

South Africa won the Test Series 3–0 * 17 July 1971 – Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, South Africa 19–11 Australia South Africa: McCallum, Nomis, Cronje, Jansen, Viljoen, Visagie, J Viljoen, Du Plessis, Ellis, Greyling, Williams, Du Preez, Marais (c), Van Wyk and Sauermann Tries by Hannes Viljoen, Joggie Viljoen and Jan Ellis. Ian McCallum 2 conversions and penalty and Piet Visagie drop goal. Australia Captain Greg Davis * 31 July 1971 – Brisbane Exhibition Ground, Brisbane, South Africa 14–6 Australia * 7 August 1971 – Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. South Africa 18–6 Australia

References

* Meredith Burgmann. ''The Sydney Morning Herald''. "The day apartheid was hit for six." 23 August 2008.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/04/25/1114281482045.html

* ttp://media.uow.edu.au/releases/2001/springboks.html http://media.uow.edu.au/releases/2001/springboks.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20060509142114/http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/cultural_heritage/places_and_meanings/ekka_history/sport_at_the_exhibition_grounds/

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060825053755/http://www.cpa.org.au/garchve05/1252worth.html https://web.archive.org/web/20060825053755/http://www.cpa.org.au/garchve05/1252worth.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20050326184551/http://www.abc.net.au/rn/history/hindsight/stories/s938629.htm

Notes

External links

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060819105410/http://www.rugby.com.au/community_rugby/what_is_rugby/history_of_the_game%2C24.html History Of The Gameincludes match image.
Australians block cricket and impede rugby tour of apartheid South Africa, 1971
The Commons Library {{Rugby Union Tours in Australia

Springbok tour The 1981 South African rugby tour (known in New Zealand as the Springbok Tour, and in South Africa as the Rebel Tour) polarised opinions and inspired widespread protests across New Zealand. The controversy also extended to the United States, wh ...

Sports riots South Africa national rugby team tours of Australia South Africa Rugby Union Tour of Australia, 1971 Rugby union controversies Rugby union and apartheid

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