A social cause of the protests was the deep divisions in New Zealand society that lasted long after the conclusion of the tour.
According to a New Zealand Herald poll in 1971, 74% of the population supported a rugby tour with the South African team with only 16% opposing. Over time the percentages changed drastically by the arrival of the Springboks as the opponents had increased to 49%. At the end of the eight weeks, it was 54% against and 42% in favour.
According to a New Zealand Herald poll in 1971, 74% of the population supported a rugby tour with the South African team with only 16% opposing. Over time the percentages changed drastically by the arrival of the Springboks as the opponents had increased to 49%. At the end of the eight weeks, it was 54% against and 42% in favour.
Divisions between City and Country
The tour represented a clash of traditional New Zealand rugby culture with a strengthening liberal culture.
The diagram on the left shows the results of an opinion poll on the percentage of those who were for and against the tour in various areas around the country. Public opinion polls showed that opposition the Springbok tour was the highest in the cities and lower in rural areas as those who lived in the country were less educated. On one occasion in Taranaki, 50 protestors marching on a Friday night were showered with eggs and bottles.
As historian Jock Phillips (New Zealand historian and current general editor of Te Ara Encyclopaedia) described it, there was conflict between "old and the new New Zealand." Many of the protestors that opposed apartheid were "baby boomers" or those who were born after World War II. The prosperous and peaceful environment that they were brought up in allowed them to challenge the older generation. Their political consciousness grew as they took part in marches against the Vietnam War, French nuclear testing and nuclear ship visits in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The anti-tour protest movement consisted of many urban, educated professionals and many unionists. A survey at the time of the tour found that over half of those that were against the tour had a university degree. Furthermore, another third had university entrance. An educated middle class was critical to the anti-tour movement because exposure to the international world of learning meant that they spread information about issues efficiently. These people made up most of the protests on the streets. Those who supported the tour were generally slightly older with more conservative values. They wanted New Zealand to continue as it was. The older generation did not understand the actions taken by anti-tour protestors and were angered by them. |
Divisions within Families
Not only was New Zealand divided as a nation but the varying opinions on the Springbok tour also caused splits within families.
Women and men quite frequently saw the tour differently (refer to the Protestors section /protestors.html). As a result, spouses, siblings, parents and children were often divided. The following account is from a first hand experience describing how conflicting views on the tour caused disruption within their family.
Women and men quite frequently saw the tour differently (refer to the Protestors section /protestors.html). As a result, spouses, siblings, parents and children were often divided. The following account is from a first hand experience describing how conflicting views on the tour caused disruption within their family.
Although things had been far from perfect between my parents, the Springbok tour caused such tension and stress that we could not live together in the same house and function as a family unit. An example of the increase was when we, as a family, watched the evening news. Often one side would raise their voices in abuse and offensive name calling towards public figures. Later the abuse was turned in an indirect way on individual family members, their friends and associations. As the tour went on and the turmoil increased, the negative feelings intensified to such a degree that feelings of dislike, anger and incomprehension dominated our home.
- "It's Just a Game" The New Zealand Experience: 100 Vignettes, Shaw, Brian. Palmerston North, New Zealand: Dunmore Press 1985
The issues caused by the Springbok tour were beyond a political and social level and were in fact going onto a personal level.