'No Maoris - No Tour' poster, 1960

'No Maoris – No Tour' poster, 1960.

In May 1960 the All Blacks were due to leave for a tour South Africa. Having finally won a series for the first time in 1956 this was a much anticipated re-match against the two powerhouses of world rugby. However the 1960 tour is best remembered for the fact that no players of Maori descent were selected. The decision to comply with South Africa's strict segregationist apartheid policies by not selecting Maori players caused an outrage. Some of the biggest public protests in New Zealand's history failed to convince the Labour government of the time to intervene. Prime Minister Walter Nash supported the rugby union, arguing that to include Maori 'would be an act of the greatest folly and cruelty to the Maori race'.

The Citizens' All Black Tour Association, of which Ngai Tahu leader Frank Winter was a prominent member, campaigned to stop the tour. Using the slogan 'No Maoris – No Tour' over 150,000 New Zealanders signed a petition opposing the tour - it remains one of the largest petitions in our history. Others marched in the streets to voice their opposition. One unique form of protest came in the form of the hugely popular Howard Morrison Quartet. Band member Gerry Merito transformed Lonnie Donegan's ‘My old man's a dustman’ into ‘My old man’s an All Black’ to make a point about the decision to tour without Maori.
   
    Oh, my old man's an All Black,
    He wears the silver fern,
    But his mates just couldn't take him
    So he's out now for a turn.
    (Fi Fi Fo Fum, there's no Horis in this scrum.)

Despite these protests the tour went ahead.

When the All Blacks toured South Africa in 1970, Maori players were able to travel as 'honorary whites', a decision that appalled Winter and others in New Zealand's growing anti-apartheid movement.

The Springboks played a New Zealand Maori XV at Napier on the first tour in 1921, winning narrowly 9–8. One South African journalist reported his shock at witnessing white supporters actively supporting the Maori XV. The two teams next met in 1956 when the New Zealand Maoris were defeated 37–0 and again in 1965 when they were defeated 9–3. Napier was the venue in 1981 when the two teams fought out a draw – 12 all.

In the 1976 tour to South Africa the All Blacks played a South African Coloureds team in Cape Town, winning 25–3.