September, 2026

New Zealand and South Africa are linked by a troublesome history. Both were British colonies, with conflicts between colonisers and indigenous people   And then there is rugby, the Greatest Rivalry, with the eight game tour of South Africa currently underway.

The history of tours and rivalry goes back to the first test between the two nations, which was played in Dunedin in August, 1921. Since then there have been numerous tours and controversies, and these have left behind programmes, commentaries and books.

We have for sale a copy of the tour programme for the 1956 South African tour of New Zealand. This was famous as the first test series defeat of the Springboks by the All Blacks, 3 to 1, with the great Don Clarke debuting in the 3^rd  test in Christchurch.

Springbok tours are also a critical part of New Zealand’s social and political history. New Zealand society was split apart by the 1981 tour. But controversy over the intertwining of sport and politics was already in play in the 1960s, with tours to South Africa in 1960 and in New Zealand in 1965.  Both tours elicited protests, particularly when the 1960 tour was all white, with protests of ‘No Maoris- No tour’. We have four pamphlets protesting the tours, including a sheet by the NZ poet Allen Curnow, and three tracts from the Citizen's Association for Racial Equality.

There’s probably no end to rivalries, but now sit back and enjoy the games.