1971_South_Africa_rugby_union_tour_of_Australia

1971 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia

1971 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia

South African rugby team tour to Australia which sparked anit-apartheid protests

The 1971 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia was a controversial six-week rugby union tour by the Springboks to Australia. Anti-apartheid protests came to being all around the country.[1] The tour is perhaps most infamous for a state of emergency being declared in Queensland.
In total, around 700 people were arrested whilst the Springboks were on tour.

Overview

The first games were then played in Adelaide and Perth, which were disrupted mainly by youth-led protesters. The third match was set to take place in Melbourne. A 5,000 strong crowd, made up mostly of university students, gathered in the streets of Melbourne to march on Olympic Park in protest.[2] Police had set up a wall of units around the stadium, around 650 policemen many armed with batons and some on horseback.[2]

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.[3] In addition, a gigantic anti-apartheid effigy was hung from the Sydney Harbour Bridge but subsequently cut down.[3]

Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen declared a month-long state of emergency.[4][5] Protests at the Tower Mill Motel where the South African team were staying were responded to by police.[6] 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.[7] A two-metre chain wire fence was erected to separate players and spectators, backed up by police in full riot gear standing ten meters apart and facing the spectators. [8]

According to Meredith Burgmann 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.[9][10] 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.[11]

More information Opposing Team, F ...

Touring group

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

First try: Piet Visagie

  • 7 August 1971 – Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. South Africa 18–6 Australia

See also

References

Notes

  1. [1]
    People's History of Australia (9 April 2020). "People's History of Australia Podcast. Episode 3 – Racists go home! Protesting the 1971 Springbok tour of Australia". The Commons Social Change Library. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  2. [2]
    "Mild in the streets". The Age. 25 April 2005.
  3. [3]
    "Focus on Springbok tour on eve of anniversary - Media @ UOW". media.uow.edu.au.
  4. [4]
    "The Guardian". Archived from the original on 25 August 2006. Retrieved 12 June 2006.
  5. [5]
    myPolice (14 February 2017). "FROM the VAULT - Springbok Tour of Queensland". Museum. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  6. [6]
    "50th Anniversary of the 'Tower Mill' Protests | State Library Of Queensland". www.slq.qld.gov.au. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  7. [7]
    "Brisbane Exhibition Ground - Austadiums". www.austadiums.com.
  8. [8]
    "Sport at the Exhibition Grounds - EPA/QPWS". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2007.
  9. [9]
    Burghmann 2008.
  10. [10]
    James Middleton, 17 November 1993, Greenleft Weekly, the rules: the campaign in Australia against apartheid[permanent dead link], 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.
  11. [11]
    "The 1971 Springbok tour". blogs.sport24.co.za. 24 December 2011. Archived from the original on 4 July 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
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