81 Springbok Tour..Where were you..?

**Sniper** · 8th April 2006, 16:20

I suppose I may be too young to understand the full effect of the protest, but what I believe is polotics should not be involved in things they know little about.

**Brian d marge** · 8th April 2006, 16:53

umm pulling down a fence...... Guilty as charged me Ludd

Stephen

I think it was Lancaster park ..Memory a bit fadey

**oldrider** · 8th April 2006, 17:50

I was in favour of the tour and still am of the same point of view now.

I have misgivings about some of the deep divisions that were created between otherwise good friends and family members

I did not like what was going on in SA then and I still don't like what is going on there now.

The protesters in the main were just caring New Zealanders and I respect their right to protest and agree with what "they" were protesting about.

The bastards in the background were just political activists and thugs like WINJA portrays himself to be on here

Strangely these political activists are not being heard from today with the plight of the white people in SA and Zimbabwe or even the blacks of both countries.

The thugs of course are still in evidence and could be relied on at any time to take up the call to arms to fuck the country and rally in force to do their slimy destructive best.

I think they were just full of shit then and do so even more so now!

Most of the political activists are still around and have vested their energies in the political parties of the left.

The further left you look the greater the concentration of the activists of the 1981 tour you can find.

The real loser from the events of 81 has been the relations between Maori and Pakeha in New Zealand, it was great before that event but has deteriorated increasingly ever since.

Most people probably don't associate those events with deterioration in race relations here because they think they were on the same side but I believe it was the beginning of the rot.

I grew up with Maori kids, we were in and out of each others houses, we played together, went everywhere together and never even gave a thought to the fact that there was any difference really.

Girls and boys grew up together intermarried and raised children just like one big happy family.

I don't see it like that now and I really grieve for the old days to return but as a realist I know it will only continue to deteriorate further as the political scene stabilises its self out here now.

That is why I believe the best thing is for Maori to become more involved in running the country by completely filling up the Maori role and get as many seats in parliament as they can and get really active in the decision making process.

Then and only then will the wounds of the past be turned into positive inputs and outcomes for the future.

It may get a lot worse before it gets better but no pain no gain as they say but then that would be a good outcome influenced (IMO) from the tour of 81.

You asked about the tour and these have been my thoughts in response. Cheers John.

**Hitcher** · 8th April 2006, 17:53

The whole "keep politics out of sport" issue is a crock. All sport is "political". And probably always has been. Just look at how much dosh our Government forks out each year on elite athletes, the World Rugby Cup and other events and opportunities designed to keep "Aotearoa uber alles"...

What is the Olympics, if not a major political opportunity for "superpowers" and the third world?

**paturoa** · 8th April 2006, 18:24

Many issues in here for me.

I was at AK uni at the time and playing rugby for AK uni. I was living in the Grafton Hall uni hostel.

I didn't protest and I didn't go to any games. I did watch on telly.

Anyway,

Issue 1) Freedom - we can't compromise our right of freedom in this country. Freedom to have the tour, freedom to protest and freedom of speech.

Issue 2) Law and order - many of the protesters were in the wrong and some of the cops.

So did I support the tour, yes because I saw it then and still do now as a right of NZers to do lawful stuff.

So did I support the protests, yes because I saw it as a right of NZers too.

So did I support the crap, willfull damage, assults etc etc - NO. So did I support the arrangement in SA at the time , no.

It was a crazy time. Before the AK test I rode around on my bike (Suzi ER250) and saw lots of pathetic crap done by protesters, spray painting stuff, smashing things, breaking stuff. (I've had things vandalised over the years and I hate all rsoles who do this)

**The Beast** · 8th April 2006, 18:35

Bloody hell, you guys are all old, I wasn't even born!! Hahaha

**onearmedbandit** · 8th April 2006, 18:39

Hmmm would've been six years old and more concerned about how I was going to convince a class mate to give up their chocolate chippies for 'hundreds of thousands' biscuits. Damn I hated those biscuits, still do.

**paturoa** · 8th April 2006, 18:50

You young fellas probably only play soggy biscuits anyway...

**sedge** · 8th April 2006, 18:52

Heh heh... Idiotic people protesting by having a sit in outside the hospital and all the way to Basin res the day of the game, what were they thinking ?... My Ma was seriously about to pop out my sister, bleeding everywhere and couldn't get in... Nice cops with big whacking sticks made a path through the hippies like a bunch of fur seals... Well, a bunch of swearing crying fur seals.

Sigh, I'm all for civil protest, but when you infringe the rights of others to make your point you are an idiot and you lose any rights you may have had.

Good on the cops, could've been messy or deadly for my ma and sister.

Sedge.

**paturoa** · 8th April 2006, 18:55

Agree rsole protesters don't get any sympahthy from me.

Several created spikes and threw them off the motorway bridges. Lucky none knew what Z nails were.

**Motu** · 8th April 2006, 19:03

I was in my late 20's,expecting our first child.Some of my mates were in the punch up,I wondered what they were doing protesting.I was a true blue hippy and against everything to do with the establishment - but I have never had the slightest interest in rugby and never conected rugby to human rights....

**paturoa** · 8th April 2006, 19:12

Rugby is what I chose to do and many others too. Some choose other things.

Point is, that I believe I have the right to make a choice of the lawful things I want to do, eg ride my bikes.

Rugby isnt the connection, choice is.

**SPman** · 8th April 2006, 20:53

I was 32 with 2 kids and running a small joinery factory - I wanted to go to the Eden park protests, but couldnt just fuck off and leave the shop!!!
A mate I was going to go with went and he ended up with a smashed eye socket from the end of a red squad baton, as he lay on the ground, having been knocked over in a crowd surge when the Red squad charged the protesters! Almost lost his eye! He is a school teacher and had spent 2 years in Sabah, in the jungle, on VSA work, prior to this.
I think the whole protest thing became something more than just rugby, sport, or even apartheid, by the end. It became a protest about the government and the way society seemed to be heading under Muldoon!.
One of my current workmates was a cop at the Eden Park protest. He left the police soon afterwards....reckoned he'd seen enough crap - from both sides - to put up with it anymore.

Originally Posted by sedge

Sigh, I'm all for civil protest, but when you infringe the rights of others to make your point you are an idiot and you lose any rights you may have had.

The only way you can get a point across IS to infringe the "rights" of others, at times - otherwise you may as well piss in the wind. People wont take action or think, most times, unless they have been put out in some way. Im all for more active protest - like - sink a few fucking whaling ships! That would be nicely effective I reckon, - no ships, they couldnt go whaling.

Originally Posted by sedge

Nice cops with big whacking sticks made a path through the hippies like a bunch of fur seals.

and what makes you think they were hippies? Oh...they had principals and convictions they were prepared to stand up (or sit down), for! Pity there aren't a few more fuckin hippies around this beknighted country then!

So Terbang, you flew that 172 as well - it was owned by a friend of the families and was on lease to the NSAC at the time.