Apartheid
The main cause of the protest action that surrounded the 1981 Springbok Tour was because Apartheid was happening in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of racial segregation enforced through legislation by the National Party who were in power from 1948 to 1994. White supremacy ruled over the black inhabitants of South Africa. The black people of South Africa were deprived of citizenship during apartheid. The world was against what South Africa was doing towards its people and wanted nothing to do with them.
Riots began in Soweto of June 16 1976 led by high school students. AN estimated 20,000 students took part in the protests and it is believed that 176 of them were killed during the disputes. The students were protesting about having to learn Afrikaans in school when they weren't allowed to share anything else with the Afrikaans. The Soweto uprising was the turning point in the opposition to white rule in South Africa. Even the white people in South Africa at the time were at raged by the response of the South African government for brutally killing so many innocent people.
In 1976 New Zealand accepted an invitation to South Africa which was straight after the Soweto Riots. The worlds attention was fixed on South Africa for these riots and all New Zealand could care about was playing a game of rugby. New Zealand's reputation immediately plummeted in the worlds eyes after accepting going on tour to South Africa. Thirty Countries boycotted the 1976 Montreal Olympics simply because New Zealand would have a team competing.
Riots began in Soweto of June 16 1976 led by high school students. AN estimated 20,000 students took part in the protests and it is believed that 176 of them were killed during the disputes. The students were protesting about having to learn Afrikaans in school when they weren't allowed to share anything else with the Afrikaans. The Soweto uprising was the turning point in the opposition to white rule in South Africa. Even the white people in South Africa at the time were at raged by the response of the South African government for brutally killing so many innocent people.
In 1976 New Zealand accepted an invitation to South Africa which was straight after the Soweto Riots. The worlds attention was fixed on South Africa for these riots and all New Zealand could care about was playing a game of rugby. New Zealand's reputation immediately plummeted in the worlds eyes after accepting going on tour to South Africa. Thirty Countries boycotted the 1976 Montreal Olympics simply because New Zealand would have a team competing.