Refer to This Booet to Answer the Questions for History 91006 (1.6)

September 2011

Refer to this booet to answer the questions for History 91006 (1.6).

Achievement Criteria
Achievement / Achievement
with Merit / Achievement
with Excellence
Describe how a significant historical event affected New Zealand society / Describe in depth how a significant historical event affected New Zealand society / Comprehensively describe how a significant historical event affected New Zealand society
Overall Level of Performance (all criteria within a column are met)

Identify the significant historical event you have chosen in the space below.

Event: Springbok Tour 1981
People / groups involved in the historical event / How the event affected these people / groups
1. The NZ Police / Many had personal views both for and against the tour but had to put those aside under difficult circumstances
2. John Minto – Leader of HART Halt all Racist Tours / John Minto was beaten up on demonstrations and had personal attacks on his wife and family
3. Rob Muldoon - Prime Minister / Felt that he had made every effort to stop the tour but refused to cancel visas. Felt that the Rugby Union should make the decision
4. Church going people / These people were middle New Zealanders who had never protested before but who marched against the tour

Answer the following questions.

1. What happened in your chosen historical event? Give a description of the event.

The 1981 Springbok Tour was an event that divided New Zealanders over the issue of the right of one country to determine the composition of another country’s football team. In 1981 the Muldoon government refused to stop a Springbok tour to New Zealand. The tour produced massive internal division and international condemnation. Internally, New Zealand was split over the tour. The National Government stated that it was not a correct use of government authority to deny visas to the Springbok players. Politics were to be kept out of sport! It also was a popular move with many potential voters. Despite the Gleneagles Agreement that had committed Commonwealth countries to ‘take all practical steps’ to dissuade sports from inviting teams from South Africa, the government while writing letters asking that the tour not go ahead, nonetheless did not cancel the tour.

Many of the anti-tour protests were co-ordinated by the anti-tour protest groups HART (Halt All Racist Tours) and CARE (Campaign for Racial Equality) Every game had strong protests and one game at Hamilton, was cancelled when protestors invaded the pitch. During the third test, a low-flying plane dropped flour bombs on the players. Law and order was maintained by the Police with the creation of the Red Squad and the Blue Squad – specially trained police to combat the protestors. The 1981 tour massively damaged New Zealand's international reputation.

New Zealand was mentioned in a United Nations resolution for its contacts with South Africa and in 1984 Black African nations were able to stop New Zealand gaining a seat on the United Nations Security Council.

2. How were TWO of the people OR groups in society that you identified on page 2 affected by the event? Clearly identify the people OR groups in your answer.

Person / Group 1: A Policeman

The Police were required to enforce the law - that was their job. For many their own views were both for and against so policing games was always difficult. At the Waikato game protestors broke through the perimeter fence and invaded the field. The Police were supposed to stop that from happening because the players were legally allowed to play. When the police tried to remove the protestors many of the crowd joined in – throwing cans at the protestors. So the police had to stop the crowd from becoming violent. Often it was for th olice themselves protection. Two squads of Policemen (Red Squad and Blue Squad) were specially trained as ‘flying squads’ to travel aroubd the country to maintain law and order and protect the games from being disrupted by protestors and from ther crowd attacking the protestors.

Person / Group 2: A protestor member John Minto

John Minto was the leader of Halt All Racist Tours (HART) the organisation responsible for a mobile group of protestors who attended every game and who refined their protest techniques as a reaction to the police tactics. The police used Red Squad as a specially trained group with riot shields and long batons to deal with the protestors. In turn they began wearing motorbike helmets to combat any violence. There was for John Minto incidences of intimidation and attacks on his home and family because he was seen as the face of the protest.

He was on Tv as the spokesperson and was therefore a target for the pro-Tour groups.

Person/ Group 3: Rob Muldoon Prime Minister

Prime ninister Muldoon had signed the Gleneagles Agreement and had tried to dissuade the Rugby Union from inviting the Springboks from touring. However once it was clear that they were going to tour, his role was to ensure that law and order was maintained. He alos new that many rural electorates were pro-tour and those marginal seats would be guarnteed if he did not stop the tour.

3. Why is your chosen historical event of significance to New Zealanders?

This event is one of the most significant in the late twentieth century

This event is significant because:

· It showed that sport was connected with politics

· It split families pro or anti

· It brought NZ to world-wide attention

· It helped Muldoon and National win the election in 1981 because the marginal electorates in NZ were pro-tour

· This was the last time a race-based team was selected officially (except for NZ Maoris – who were of course always available for the All Blacks)

· It pitted country NZ against city NZ – country pro - City anti

· It had people out protesting who had never protested before

· It made many Maori realise that there was an irony in people protesting against racism overseas when it existed in New Zealand

In the long term

· People realised that sport and politics did mix

· Ultimately it was this tour that led to the collapse of Aparthed

Answer the following questions.

4. What happened in your chosen historical event? Give a description of the event.

Many of the anti-tour protests were co-ordinated by the anti-tour protest group HART (Halt All Racist Tours). Every game had strong protests and one game was cancelled when protestors invaded the pitch. During the third test, a low-flying plane dropped flour bombs on the players. The 1981 tour massively damaged New Zealand's international reputation.

5. How were TWO of the people OR groups in society that you identified on page 2 affected by the event? Clearly identify the people OR groups in your answer.

Person / Group 1: A Policeman

Person / Group 2: A protestor member John Minto

6. Why is your chosen historical event of significance to New Zealanders?