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] The game was instead played at the Exhibition Ground, being moved from its original venue at Ballymore Stadium, as it was deemed easier to erect barricades at the Exhibition Ground.^[4] A two-metre chain wire fence was erected to separate players and spectators.^[5]

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.^[6][7] 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.^[8]

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	7 July 1971	Sydney	Tour match
New South Wales	25	3	10 July 1971	Sydney	Tour match
New South Wales Country	19	3	14 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	28 July 1971	Brisbane	Tour match
Australia	14	6	31 Jul 1971	Exhibition Ground, Brisbane	Test match
Queensland Country	45	14	4 Aug 1971	Toowoomba	Tour match
Australia	18	6	7 Aug 1971	Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney	Test match

Touring group

Manager Flappie Lochner Coach Johan Claassen Hookers Piston van Wyk Robbie Barnard Props Hannes Marais (capt) Sakkie Sauermann Martiens Louw Locks Frik du Preez John Williams Johan Spies Loose Forwards Tommy Bedford Morne du Plessis Jan Ellis Piet Greyling Thys Lourens Albie Bates as replacement

Fullbacks Ian McCallum Tonie Roux Wings Syd Nomis Gert Muller Hannes Viljoen Andy van der Watt as replacement Centres Peter Cronje Joggie Jansen Peter Swanson Flyhalves Piet Visagie Dawie Snyman Scrumhalves Joggie Viljoen Dirk de Vos

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. Sydney Morning Herald. "The day apartheid was hit for six." 23 August 2008.
• http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/04/25/1114281482045.html
• http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2001_july/springbok_tour_protests_remembered_11613,4223.html
• http://media.uow.edu.au/releases/2001/springboks.html
• http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/cultural_heritage/places_and_meanings/ekka_history/sport_at_the_exhibition_grounds/
• http://www.ausport.gov.au/fulltext/2001/sportsf/s320787.htm
• http://www.cpa.org.au/garchve05/1252worth.html
• http://www.abc.net.au/rn/history/hindsight/stories/s938629.htm

Notes

6. Burghmann 2008.
7. James Middleton, 17 November 1993, Greenleft Weekly, the rules: the campaign in Australia against apartheid, 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.
8. "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.