Significance to New Zealand:
The Springbok Tour of New Zealand in 1981 had a wide variety of social, political and economic consequences that later impacted the lives of New Zealanders and in particular New Zealand society making it an extremely significant historical event. The many violent encounters between people who supported the tour and people who protested against it expanded the already increasingly problematic social split between town and country (rural and urban New Zealand). The initial fault was about different viewpoints on issues, not just at a national scale but worldwide as oppose to just being all about rugby and other sports. It almost seemed as though the supporters of the Tour could not quite get a hold of the significance of the Tour and the resulting protests on the world scale. In New Zealand, issues surrounding racism were brought forward with increasing activism by Maori people leading to the Waitangi Tribunal action over injustices that had escalated since 1840. Maori, along with Pakeha (white) New Zealanders, used the hype of the 1981 Springbok Tour protests to launch other protest movements revolving around homosexual rights and anti-nuclear. The social and political consequences were much more widespread than the economic effects of the tour, however they did still have a significant impact. Much desperation was shown by the government as they spent over $2.7 million on the tour in order to gain the votes of the pro-tour supporters, as they had the belief that those votes would benefit them in the next election. Although Muldoon used the 1981 Tour to advantage himself during the election process, he let himself down for the 1984 election and lost his role as Prime Minister to David Lange, who brought the Labour Party government into power. This demonstrated a change in the influence that New Zealand would have on the world stage, and also showed a change in peoples' viewpoints to do with the significance of public action. Lange made it so that New Zealanders had a say in what happened in the country, not so that the government completely controlled everyone and didn't take into consideration the morals of the people, giving New Zealand back to its people.
International Significance:
The Springbok Tour of New Zealand in 1981 was the first proper protest action taken against racism at an international scale, and the effects of it were very widespread. New Zealand put itself on the map as a country that was battling for the rights of black people in South Africa through media coverage throughout the world, which resulted in long lasting effects on a global scale. Action taken against apartheid and South Africa had been very limited to punishment put upon them by the United Nations and countries of the Commonwealth before the Tour happened. The minimisation of sporting contact forced by many countries in the Commonwealth seemed to be just as effective as any methods to impact on South African politics and strategies. The loss of sporting contact angered many white South Africans as sport was a fundamental part of South African Society, and white South Africans did not see any problems with apartheid and like Muldoon, believed politics should not have an influence on sport. Minimising sporting contact with South Africa was influential until the 1990's when apartheid began to collapse, South African and New Zealand rugby tours (especially the 1981 Tour) being an exception. Through the contact and competition of New Zealand against South Africa, New Zealand began to obtain an adverse reputation which showed through boycotting by many black African countries of the Montreal Summer Olympic games in 1976. These black African countries were angry that New Zealand had ignored non-sporting contact with South Africa, as they believed that it seemed as though New Zealand was supporting racist South African policies and apartheid. The Springbok Tour of 1981, and the protests that followed portrayed what New Zealand society thought of apartheid, and their own government's movements in letting the tour continue.
The protests that occurred around the Tour restored motivation and made people more determined to destroy apartheid to bring equality between blacks and whites in South Africa and all over the world. Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, reflected on the protests around the tour in 1981 as a source of great inspiration:
"The sun shone into the dark cells of Robin Island and transformed the oppressive Soweto dungeons into beacons of hope"
After being released from prison in February 1990 (also before he went to prison, but more so after), Mandela became exceptionally powerful in the fight for equality between black and white South Africans, and also played a huge role in destroying apartheid. Mandela believed that apartheid was an "extraordinary disaster that lasted for too long". Mandela was elected as President of South Africa in 1994, with the support of millions of people around the world, being the first Black President ever in South Africa. The 1981 Tour was not directly attributed to the destruction of apartheid and the growth of equality between blacks and whites in South Africa, however it was the start of the expansion of physical action against the white South African government and their wrong doings. It was a part of a continuing process by multiple countries that resulted in increased pressure on authorities and then after a while, led to a change, putting New Zealand back on the map as a country that believed in and cared not just for the rights of New Zealanders, but for equality all over the world.
Nelson Mandela, the first black President of South Africa
"From a South African perspective, the 1981 Springbok tour was a story of hope. It chronicles the power of ordinary people to defeat complicity in an evil system. Whilst we must not live in the past, we must never allow ourselves to forget the bitter-sweet lessons of the past. To do this is to invite old evils to reappear." - Gregory Fortunin, South African Consulate (2006)
The protests that occurred around the Tour restored motivation and made people more determined to destroy apartheid to bring equality between blacks and whites in South Africa and all over the world. Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, reflected on the protests around the tour in 1981 as a source of great inspiration:
"The sun shone into the dark cells of Robin Island and transformed the oppressive Soweto dungeons into beacons of hope"
After being released from prison in February 1990 (also before he went to prison, but more so after), Mandela became exceptionally powerful in the fight for equality between black and white South Africans, and also played a huge role in destroying apartheid. Mandela believed that apartheid was an "extraordinary disaster that lasted for too long". Mandela was elected as President of South Africa in 1994, with the support of millions of people around the world, being the first Black President ever in South Africa. The 1981 Tour was not directly attributed to the destruction of apartheid and the growth of equality between blacks and whites in South Africa, however it was the start of the expansion of physical action against the white South African government and their wrong doings. It was a part of a continuing process by multiple countries that resulted in increased pressure on authorities and then after a while, led to a change, putting New Zealand back on the map as a country that believed in and cared not just for the rights of New Zealanders, but for equality all over the world.
Nelson Mandela, the first black President of South Africa
"From a South African perspective, the 1981 Springbok tour was a story of hope. It chronicles the power of ordinary people to defeat complicity in an evil system. Whilst we must not live in the past, we must never allow ourselves to forget the bitter-sweet lessons of the past. To do this is to invite old evils to reappear." - Gregory Fortunin, South African Consulate (2006)