1971 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia

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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. 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.[1] Police had set up a wall of units around the stadium, around 650 policemen many armed with batons and some on horseback.[1]

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.[2] In addition, a gigantic anti-apartheid effigy was hung from the Sydney Harbour Bridge but subsequently cut down.[2]

Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen declared a month-long state of emergency.[3][4] Protests at the Tower Mill Motel where the South African team were staying were responded to by police.[5] 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.[6] A two-metre chain wire fence was erected to separate players and spectators.[7]

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.[8][9] 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.[10]

Opposing Team For Against Date Venue Status
Western Australia 44 18 26 Jun 1971 Perth Tour match
South Australia 43 0 30 Jun 1971 Adelaide Tour match
Victoria 50 0 3 July 1971 Melbourne Tour match
Sydney 21 12 6 July 1971 Sydney Tour match
New South Wales 25 3 10 July 1971 Sydney Tour match
New South Wales Country 19 3 13 July 1971 Orange Tour match
Australia 19 11 17 July 1971 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Test match
Australian Capital Territory 34 3 21 July 1971 Canberra Tour match
Queensland 33 14 24 July 1971 Brisbane Tour match
Junior Wallabies 31 12 27 July 1971 Brisbane Tour match
Australia 14 6 31 Jul 1971 Exhibition Ground, Brisbane Test match
Queensland Country 45 14 3 Aug 1971 Toowoomba Tour match
Australia 18 6 7 Aug 1971 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Test match

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

See also[]

  • 1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand

References[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ a b "Mild in the streets". The Age. 25 April 2005.
  2. ^ a b "Focus on Springbok tour on eve of anniversary - Media @ UOW". media.uow.edu.au.
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 August 2006. Retrieved 12 June 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ myPolice (14 February 2017). "FROM the VAULT - Springbok Tour of Queensland". Museum. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  5. ^ "50th Anniversary of the 'Tower Mill' Protests | State Library Of Queensland". www.slq.qld.gov.au. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Brisbane Exhibition Ground - Austadiums". www.austadiums.com.
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ Burghmann 2008.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "The 1971 Springbok tour". blogs.sport24.co.za. 24 December 2011. Archived from the original on 4 July 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.

External links[]

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