1971 South Africa rugby union tour of Australia
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[]
Hookers
Props
Locks
Loose Forwards
|
Fullbacks
Wings
Centres
Flyhalves
Scrumhalves
|
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[]
- Meredith Burgmann. The Sydney Morning Herald. "The day apartheid was hit for six." 23 August 2008.
- http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/04/25/1114281482045.html
- https://web.archive.org/web/20060830170604/http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2001_july/springbok_tour_protests_remembered_11613,4223.html
- http://media.uow.edu.au/releases/2001/springboks.html
- https://web.archive.org/web/20060509142114/http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/cultural_heritage/places_and_meanings/ekka_history/sport_at_the_exhibition_grounds/
- https://web.archive.org/web/20060525053431/http://www.ausport.gov.au/fulltext/2001/sportsf/s320787.htm
- https://web.archive.org/web/20060825053755/http://www.cpa.org.au/garchve05/1252worth.html
- https://web.archive.org/web/20050326184551/http://www.abc.net.au/rn/history/hindsight/stories/s938629.htm
Notes[]
- ^ a b "Mild in the streets". The Age. 25 April 2005.
- ^ a b "Focus on Springbok tour on eve of anniversary - Media @ UOW". media.uow.edu.au.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 August 2006. Retrieved 12 June 2006.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ myPolice (14 February 2017). "FROM the VAULT - Springbok Tour of Queensland". Museum. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
- ^ "50th Anniversary of the 'Tower Mill' Protests | State Library Of Queensland". www.slq.qld.gov.au. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
- ^ "Brisbane Exhibition Ground - Austadiums". www.austadiums.com.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2007.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Burghmann 2008.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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[]
- Breaking the rules: the campaign in Australia against apartheid
- History Of The Game includes match image.
- 1971 in Australian rugby union
- 1971 riots
- 1971 rugby union tours
- Sports riots
- South Africa national rugby team tours of Australia
- 1971 in politics
- Rugby union controversies
- Rugby union and apartheid
- 1971 in South African rugby union
- Sports scandals in Australia