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.[1] 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[edit]

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.[2] Police had set up a wall of units around the stadium, around 650 policemen many armed with batons and some on horseback.[2]

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.[3] In addition, a gigantic anti-apartheid effigy was hung from the Sydney Harbour Bridge but subsequently cut down.[3]

Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen declared a month-long state of emergency.[4][5] Protests at the Tower Mill Motel where the South African team were staying were responded to by police.[6] 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.[7] A two-metre chain wire fence was erected to separate players and spectators, backed up by police in full riot gear standing ten meters apart and facing the spectators. [8]

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.[9][10] They were successful in this regard as the cricket tour was called off due to security reasons.

Fixtures[edit]

Scores and results list South Africa's points tally first.[11]

Opposing Team F A Date Venue
Western Australia Western Australia 44 18 26 June 1971 Perth
South Australia South Australia 43 0 30 June 1971 Adelaide
Victoria (state) Victoria 50 0 3 July 1971 Melbourne
New South Wales Sydney 21 12 6 July 1971 Sydney
New South Wales New South Wales 25 3 10 July 1971 Sydney
New South Wales New South Wales Country 19 3 13 July 1971 Orange
 Australia 19 11 17 July 1971 SCG, Sydney
Australian Capital Territory Australian Capital Territory 34 3 21 July 1971 Canberra
Queensland Queensland 33 14 24 July 1971 Brisbane
Australia Junior Wallabies 31 12 27 July 1971 Brisbane
 Australia 14 6 31 July 1971 Brisbane Exhibition Ground, Brisbane
Queensland Queensland Country 45 14 3 August 1971 Toowoomba
 Australia 18 6 7 August 1971 SCG, Sydney

Touring group[edit]

Test matches[edit]

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

First try: Piet Visagie

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

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ People's History of Australia (9 April 2020). "People's History of Australia Podcast. Episode 3 – Racists go home! Protesting the 1971 Springbok tour of Australia". The Commons Social Change Library. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Mild in the streets". The Age. 25 April 2005.
  3. ^ a b "Focus on Springbok tour on eve of anniversary - Media @ UOW". media.uow.edu.au.
  4. ^ "The Guardian". Archived from the original on 25 August 2006. Retrieved 12 June 2006.
  5. ^ myPolice (14 February 2017). "FROM the VAULT - Springbok Tour of Queensland". Museum. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  6. ^ "50th Anniversary of the 'Tower Mill' Protests | State Library Of Queensland". www.slq.qld.gov.au. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Brisbane Exhibition Ground - Austadiums". www.austadiums.com.
  8. ^ "Sport at the Exhibition Grounds - EPA/QPWS". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2007.
  9. ^ Burghmann 2008.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ "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[edit]

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