Timeline of the 1981 Springbok Tour

By Peen

  • The Springboks arrive in Gisborne

    The Springboks team was officially welcomed to New Zealand on the Poho-o-Rawiri marae in Gisborne

  • The Springboks first game in Gisborne

    The Springboks won 24-6 against Poverty Bay

  • The game in Hamilton was cancelled

    The game in Hamilton against Waikato was cancelled because of several hundred anti-tour protesters

  • Government states that they will stand up against protesters

    The Government state that they will not let the violent protests interfere and promise anew Zealand army assistance if required

  • Police were forced to use violence in Wellington

    Police were forced to use batons on anti-tour protesters for the first time after their eruption of violence on Molesworth Street in Wellington.

  • First test game

    The All Blacks win the first test game against the Springboks 14-9 in Christchurch

  • Second test game

    The Springboks win 24-22 in the second test game in Wellington but the streets resembled a battleground after the game as 7000 protesters gathered in the streets

  • Last test game

    The All Blacks won the last test match 25-22 in Auckland, but afterwards 'all hell broke loose' when flour and smoke bombs were dropped from a Cessna plane while the police fought protesters outside of the grounds