New Zealand Search for Security Activities

Many of these activities can be adapted to meet the requirements for whichever level of NCEA you are teaching/studying. They are not designed with formal assessment in mind but are intended to help develop broad understanding of some of the key ideas.

Topic: The 1981 Springbok Tour

A. Short answer activities

Using the feature the 1981 Springbok tour and your own knowledge, answer the following questions: 
1.	When did New Zealand and South Africa first play rugby against each other? 
2.	What issue became the focus of protest here in 1960 regarding touring South Africa? 
3.	What action did the United Nations take against South Africa in 1968? 
4.	What status did the South African government give to Maori members of the visiting 1970 All Black team? 
5.	Why did some people see the 1970 tour to South Africa as the last straw? 
6.	What was HART? 
7.	Who or what was a KEEPOOS? 
8.	Why did Norman Kirk cancel the proposed Springbok tour to New Zealand in 1973? 
9.	How did New Zealand's tour of South Africa in 1976 gain international attention? 
10.	What was the aim of the Gleneagles Agreement? 
11.	In your opinion, did the Muldoon government act in accordance with the Gleneagles Agreement in 1981? 
12.	Why did the Muldoon government not stop the Springbok tour in 1981? 
13.	Why did support for the tour appear to be strongest in provincial centres? 
14.	What specific actions did the police take to ensure the tour could proceed? 
15.	What are the estimates of how much Operation Rugby cost the taxpayers of New Zealand? 

New Zealand Search for Security Activities

Topic: The 1981 Springbok Tour

B. Seeing both sides of the argument

Using the feature the 1981 Springbok tour, examine some of the different perspectives on the 1981 tour by completing the following activities. 

A. Rugby administrator 
It is June 1981. You are a member of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) Council. You have been asked to write a paper that will be sent to all provincial unions. This paper needs to outline why the Springbok tour must proceed despite opposition from the anti-tour movement, which is promising mass mobilisation to disrupt the tour. There has been public criticism that the NZRFU is being selfish in allowing the tour to go ahead. As there will be games in 15 different centres during the tour, the NZRFU wants to make sure that all provincial unions give the same reasons for the tour going ahead when questioned by the media. 
Your task is to: 
•	outline the three main reasons why the NZRFU believes this tour must go ahead 
•	outline what the NZRFU would say if it was accused of not acting in New Zealand's best interests in allowing the tour to proceed. 

B. Anti-tour protest organiser 
It is June 1981. You are a member of a movement opposed to the Springbok tour. There are branches of your movement throughout the country. You have been asked to write a paper to send to all branches of your movement. This paper needs to outline why you believe the Springbok tour should not proceed, and if it does go ahead, why it must be disrupted using the strongest means possible. There has been criticism of the anti-tour movement for its stand, and some people have suggested that politics should stay out of sport. Your movement is keen to ensure all branches give the same reasons for opposing the tour when questioned by the media. 
Your task is to: 
•	outline the three main reasons why your movement believes this tour must not go ahead 
•	outline what your movement would say in response to the statement that sport and politics shouldn't mix and to accusations that you are denying New Zealanders their right to watch a game of rugby. 

C. Newspaper editorial 
In an editorial you can express your own opinion as well as consider how people at the time might have felt. 
Imagine you are the editor of a New Zealand newspaper in September 1981. The tour is over, and your newspaper is presenting a feature looking back at the events of the tour. Write an editorial, of no more than 200 words, expressing your views on whether or not the decision to go ahead with the tour was the right one for New Zealand society. 
Have a look at some examples of editorials to get a sense of the style of writing. 

D. Class debate 
Organise a class debate on the decision to allow the 1981 tour to go ahead under the heading of 'The 1981 Springbok tour: sport and politics don't mix'. 

New Zealand Search for Security Activities

Topic: The 1981 Springbok Tour

C. Cartoon Interpretation

Using the cartoon, 'Aren't you pinning this on the wrong bloke?', and the feature the 1981 Springbok tour, complete the following activities. 

Larger version and reference for this image 
1.	What decision is being referred to in this cartoon? Give evidence to support your answer. 
2.	Who is the person pinning on the death certificate in this cartoon? 
3.	What is happening to the character lying on the ground? 
4.	In what year was this cartoon most likely to have been drawn? Give evidence to support your answer. 
5.	Why is the Gleneagles Agreement shown as having died? 
6.	How did the decision to continue with the 1981 tour harm New Zealand's relations with some other countries? 
7.	Does this cartoon accurately portray public opinion in New Zealand at the time this decision was taken? Give evidence to support your answer. 
8.	What were some of the consequences for New Zealand as a result of the decision to proceed with the 1981 tour? 
9.	How did the government enforce this decision? 
10.	How would you describe the cartoonist's attitude to the decision taken by the government? 

New Zealand Search for Security Activities

Topic: The 1981 Springbok Tour

D. Role play activity 

Use the feature the 1981 Springbok tour and your own knowledge and ideas to help you complete the following tasks.

Imagine you are a journalist at a press conference given by the New Zealand Prime Minister, Robert Muldoon, in early July 1981. The NZRFU has confirmed its decision to invite the South African rugby team to tour New Zealand. In this conference you will have the opportunity to ask Robert Muldoon about his reactions to this decision and why his government has not stopped the tour by denying the South Africans visas to enter the country. 

Write three questions for the prime minister about the government's decision not to stop the tour. Then, write the replies to these questions that could be expected from him. Your questions and answers should consider the prime minister's justification for not intervening and describe how the government intends to deal with the expected protest against this tour. 

•	A member of the class could assume the role of Robert Muldoon, and the class could select six questions to ask him. Some students could be reporters asking the questions. The remainder of the class can record the questions and answers. At the end of the conference, check the accuracy of the notes made by the class 'recorders'. 
•	Consider the purpose and nature of press conferences when organising your role play. Television news bulletins regularly show extracts from such conferences.

New Zealand Search for Security Activities

Topic: The 1981 Springbok Tour

E. Paragraph and essay writing

Use the feature the 1981 Springbok tour and your own knowledge and ideas to help you complete the following writing activities. 

See the tips on good paragraph writing in the Teacher's Toolbox

1. From 1960 through to 1981, the issue of sporting contact with South Africa helped shape New Zealand's emerging identity as a nation. Some historians have described the 1981 Springbok tour as being the moment when New Zealand lost its innocence as a country and as a watershed in our view of ourselves as a country and people. As the rights and wrongs of apartheid were debated here, questions about racism in New Zealand were also raised. 

Write three paragraphs of between 100 and 150 words each, describing: 
•	the ways in which New Zealand became concerned with the issue of sporting contact with South Africa between 1960 and 1981 
•	the actions taken by New Zealand governments (1960–81) regarding sporting ties with South Africa
•	in detail, ONE way that sporting ties with South Africa in the period 1960–81 had affected New Zealand's relations with its traditional allies by 1981. 

2. Essay: 

How did issues relating to sporting contact with South Africa cause tensions in New Zealand's relations with other countries between 1960 and 1981? 
How did New Zealand governments respond to these issues? 

Ensure that your essay has: 
•	an introduction, which has an opening statement of two or three sentences that clearly state what the essay is about 
•	a main body, consisting of a series of sequenced and structured paragraphs that contain generalisations with supporting evidence 
•	a conclusion or brief statement that sums up your answer to both parts of the essay question. 

The ideas, below, will help you. You must add your own knowledge as well. 
•	no Maoris, no tour 
•	cancellation of tours 
•	Montreal Olympics 
•	Gleneagles Agreement 

New Zealand Search for Security Activities

Topic: The 1981 Springbok Tour

F. Wearing your HART on your sleeve

Look at the feature the 1981 Springbok tour for some examples to help you complete the following activity. 

A feature of the 1981 tour was the number of organisations, both pro- and anti-tour, that competed for the support of New Zealanders. During the tour many New Zealanders literally wore their 'HART' (Halt All Racist Tours) on their sleeves in the form of badges promoting their stance on the tour. Slogans for banners, chants and T-shirts were also employed by various groups. 

Design a badge or an A4-size flyer that promotes either a pro- or anti-tour perspective. You can represent one of the many organisations that existed then, e.g., HART or SPIR (Stop Politics in Rugby) or you could create your own organisation, complete with a suitable acronym.