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1981 - A Country at War
Television (Excerpts) – 2000
The New Zealand Government's decision to proceed with a controversial Springbok rugby tour in 1981 tore open cultural and political rifts within Kiwi society. In these two documentary excerpts, New Zealanders on both sides of the divide give firsthand accounts of the bloody aftermath of matches in Gisborne, Hamilton and Auckland. The protests enraged rugby fans, and for police officers like Tyrone Laurenson, the events of 1981 were a matter of personal survival. For Māori protestors, the tour provoked serious questions about racism at home in Aotearoa.
The tour split families; it split friends. It was unbelievable how it affected people – it is very hard to explain that to a young person now.– Former rugby administrator Ray Harper talks to The Southland Times in 2011
Key Cast & Crew
See all 17 credits
Produced by
Frame Up Films
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