Pro-Tour
Those that supported the tour were just as determined as the protestors to prevent any disruptions to the games.
The game of rugby stirred strong passions among New Zealanders as a massive part of the nation's identity. Rugby fans were only interested in the sport and there were often sporadic outbursts of violence by fans as they were enraged by the actions of the anti-tour movement. Graham Atkin, the Wellington Rugby Football Union Chairman was only interested in giving fans the best of New Zealand rugby and allowing his players to challenge one of the powerhouses of rugby, the Springboks. they did not believe in the slightest that politics should interfere with sport in anyway (Refer to Political /political.html). The following account is a primary document written by a pro-tour supporter discussing how politics and sport has affected him personally, on this basis which he believes the government should not take action to prevent the tour. Pro-tour supporters saw the tour as just games of rugby. To them, supporting the tour did not necessarily mean that they were also for apartheid. |