Apartheid poster

This poster (or placard) was found in the grounds of Sandringham School after protests against the last rugby test of the Springbok rugby tour on 12 September 1981 in Auckland. That day, clashes between protesters, tour supporters and the police, became particularly violent as can be seen in the dirty, crumpled state of this poster.

The Springbok Rugby Tour of 1981 was a seminal event in New Zealand's political and social history - exposing deep rifts in society. Many New Zealanders objected to the tour because of South Africa's policy of racial apartheid, and many questioned racism at home. Protests caused obstruction and the cancellation of games, and violence escalated between protesters, supporters and police during the tour.