Abstract
In 1981, at the height on the international sports boycott, the South African national rugby team, the Springboks, toured New Zealand. The tour was characterised by violent demonstrations as pro-and anti-tour forces locked horns. South African rugby fans watching the live broadcasts witnessed bizarre scenes: rugby fields being combed for glass shards, fishhooks, and nails scattered by anti-tour protestors; a pitch invasion at Hamilton forcing the cancellation of the Springboks' match against Waikato; the infamous Third Test, where 'flour-bombs' descended onto the field from a light aircraft. The tour is frequently referred to in studies on the sports boycott-era. However, the tours legacy for white rugby is not considered. Using hitherto untapped archival material, this article provides an in depth discussion on the 1981 tour, and in particular how it reinforced white rugby's isolation in the 1980s.