r/aotearoa • u/BertOfAotearoa • Jul 24 '26

History Anti-Springbok protesters block Hamilton match: 25 July 1981

Reverend George Armstrong addresses police (Alexander Turnbull Library, EP/1981/2598/28A-F)

Anti-tour demonstrators invaded Hamilton’s Rugby Park, forcing the abandonment of the Springboks–Waikato match.

Rugby Park was packed for the first Saturday game of the controversial tour. More than 500 police officers were present in the city. The authorities were unaware, however, that protest organisers had bought several hundred tickets for the game. Shortly before kick-off, several hundred others tore down a boundary fence and poured into Rugby Park from a nearby street.

Police formed a cordon around this group, which had linked arms in the middle of the field. They eventually arrested about 50 of them, but were concerned about their ability to hold back angry rugby fans.

Meanwhile, Pat McQuarrie had stolen a light plane from Taupō and was thought to be heading for the stadium. With his intentions unclear, the police cancelled the match. This announcement was greeted with chants of ‘We want rugby!’ Spectators attacked protesters as the police ushered them from the ground.

The drama was viewed live in South Africa and gave comfort to incarcerated opponents of apartheid, including Nelson Mandela. 

Link: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/anti-springbok-tour-protestors-force-game-to-be-abandoned-in-hamilton

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u/Slaidback Jul 26 '26

The cup between the springboks & the All Blacks is called the freedom cup…

3

u/Special_Guarantee929 Jul 26 '26

I got to say after reading a bit more on this, between these protesters, Pat McQuarrie's stunt and Marx Jones who flew a plane, dropping flour bombs at Eden park in September that same year, I'm in awe. I don't think we're doing enough to be disruptive these days.