Norman Kirk

Norman Kirk promised that if Labour won the 1972 election it would not interfere with the New Zealand Rugby Football Union’s decision to invite the Springboks to tour in 1973. When he made a U-turn in April 1973 and announced the government’s decision to cancel the tour, this was met with howls of protest in some quarters. Kirk argued that the country should not be put through the social turmoil that was likely to result if the tour proceeded.

• See biography of Norman Kirk