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Photo by Peter Blank

Police Perspectives Portrayed On 1981 Springbok Tour

UHC Admin —

HIS101 students have ventured to the Royal NZ Police College in Porirua to hear about what it was like for police during the controvesial 1981 tour. Teacher Julie Sayers reports on the insightful trip.

This term our HIS101 classes are learning about the 1981 Springbok Tour which saw Aotearoa divided into two warring camps, with rugby fans adamant that politics should stay out of sport and anti-tour protestors protesting against the system of apartheid in South Africa. 

As part of this study our Year 11 History classes jumped on a bus and headed over the hill to Porirua to visit the Royal Police College Museum. 

Never before or since has Aotearoa seen such violence in our streets. Our students had the great privilege of hearing a retired police officer speak about his experience as a young 24 year old front-line officer involved in policing the tour. 

We also toured the museum’s exhibit on the Tour and had some free time to enjoy the rest of the museum, and indulge in some dressing-up antics. 

It was a really valuable experience for our students who are writing an assessment on different perspectives of the 1981 Tour, it really brought the event to life for them.