Key groups and individuals involved
H.A.R.T (Halt All Racial Tours)
Halt All Racist Tours (H.A.R.T) was a protest group set up in New Zealand in 1969 to protest against rugby tours to and from South Africa. Up until 1970, South Africa disallowed mixed race teams to tour their country. In 1960 a protest movement was set up to oppose the All Blacks tour of South Africa. They used the slogan, “no Maoris, no tour”, but failed to stop the tour. However, regardless of this, the New Zealand Rugby Union did stop the 1968 tour. In 1969 Trevor Richards, Tom Newnham and others formed HART to protest against the proposed 1970 tour. The tour went ahead after the South Africans agreed to accept a mixed-race team. Prime Minister Robert Muldoon failed to cancel the 1970 tour which went against the Gleneagles Agreement. As a result of this, 21 African nations boycotted the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal in protest against the All Black tour of South Africa. In 1980 HART merged with the National Anti-Apartheid Council and Trevor Richards was replaced as chairman by John Minto who proved to be a very controversial but influential figure. The high point of HARTs existence and protest was the 1981 Springbok Tour to New Zealand. As I have already stated, thousands of New Zealanders protested, invaded pitches, and were involved in civil disobedience to stretch police resources. HART was not the leading body in these protests, as broader organisations were set up in each major centre to coordinate protests, but HART members played a leading role in these organisations. HART also organised protests nationwide to opposed the 1986 Cavaliers Tour to South Africa. HARTs reason for existence ended with the abolishment of Apartheid in 1994.
John Minto
John Minto is a New Zealand political activist who is and has been involved in many left-wing groups and causes. Minto was involved in forming Halt All Racist Tours (H.A.R.T), set up in 1969 to protest against New Zealand rugby tours to and from Apartheid South Africa. He became chairman of this organisation in 1980 and was involved in protests around New Zealand. He was arrested at an anti-tour protest in Invercargill in 1981. Minto has continued to be the leader of multiple public protests and movement to this present day.
Robert Muldoon
Robert Muldoon was one of New Zealands most polarising Prime Ministers. Muldoons National government served from 1975 to 1984, which included the 1981 Springbok Tour in which he was a very controversial figure. He enabled the tour to go ahead and ignored the Gleneagles Agreement, much to the disappointment of the rest of the Commonwealth. He had the ideology that “sport and politics should not mix”. At the time this is what kept him in government for the 1981 election, but was ultimately his undoing when he was voted out in the 1984 election. He died a year after leaving parliament.
Norman Kirk
Norman Kirk was the Prime Minister prior to Robert Muldoon, and leader of the Labour government from 1972 until 1974 when he suddenly dies. It was Kirk that controversially postponed the 1973 Springbok tour, sensing the uprising of the New Zealand public that would ensue. This decision is likely to have contributed to Labours demise in the 1975 election.
Halt All Racist Tours (H.A.R.T) was a protest group set up in New Zealand in 1969 to protest against rugby tours to and from South Africa. Up until 1970, South Africa disallowed mixed race teams to tour their country. In 1960 a protest movement was set up to oppose the All Blacks tour of South Africa. They used the slogan, “no Maoris, no tour”, but failed to stop the tour. However, regardless of this, the New Zealand Rugby Union did stop the 1968 tour. In 1969 Trevor Richards, Tom Newnham and others formed HART to protest against the proposed 1970 tour. The tour went ahead after the South Africans agreed to accept a mixed-race team. Prime Minister Robert Muldoon failed to cancel the 1970 tour which went against the Gleneagles Agreement. As a result of this, 21 African nations boycotted the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal in protest against the All Black tour of South Africa. In 1980 HART merged with the National Anti-Apartheid Council and Trevor Richards was replaced as chairman by John Minto who proved to be a very controversial but influential figure. The high point of HARTs existence and protest was the 1981 Springbok Tour to New Zealand. As I have already stated, thousands of New Zealanders protested, invaded pitches, and were involved in civil disobedience to stretch police resources. HART was not the leading body in these protests, as broader organisations were set up in each major centre to coordinate protests, but HART members played a leading role in these organisations. HART also organised protests nationwide to opposed the 1986 Cavaliers Tour to South Africa. HARTs reason for existence ended with the abolishment of Apartheid in 1994.
John Minto
John Minto is a New Zealand political activist who is and has been involved in many left-wing groups and causes. Minto was involved in forming Halt All Racist Tours (H.A.R.T), set up in 1969 to protest against New Zealand rugby tours to and from Apartheid South Africa. He became chairman of this organisation in 1980 and was involved in protests around New Zealand. He was arrested at an anti-tour protest in Invercargill in 1981. Minto has continued to be the leader of multiple public protests and movement to this present day.
Robert Muldoon
Robert Muldoon was one of New Zealands most polarising Prime Ministers. Muldoons National government served from 1975 to 1984, which included the 1981 Springbok Tour in which he was a very controversial figure. He enabled the tour to go ahead and ignored the Gleneagles Agreement, much to the disappointment of the rest of the Commonwealth. He had the ideology that “sport and politics should not mix”. At the time this is what kept him in government for the 1981 election, but was ultimately his undoing when he was voted out in the 1984 election. He died a year after leaving parliament.
Norman Kirk
Norman Kirk was the Prime Minister prior to Robert Muldoon, and leader of the Labour government from 1972 until 1974 when he suddenly dies. It was Kirk that controversially postponed the 1973 Springbok tour, sensing the uprising of the New Zealand public that would ensue. This decision is likely to have contributed to Labours demise in the 1975 election.