Film: game one of 1981 Springbok tour

The view from the Poverty Bay rugby manager and one of the team (10mb)

The Poverty Bay team travelled to the game in the back of a meat truck to avoid detection by protestors. This set the pattern for the remainder of the tour, with each side trying to outsmart the opposition on game day. Tactics and strategies of protest and counter-protest became as important as the tactics for the games themselves.

The scene is set

On the field the visitors won 24–6. As was to be the case for the entire tour, the real action was taking place on the streets surrounding the venue. Protestors at Gisborne attempted to disrupt the game by breaking down the perimeter fence to get onto the field. While their efforts were unsuccessful, this would remain a clear tactic. Alick Shaw, a leading figure in the Wellington anti-tour movement, believed that if games could be stopped then the tour might have to be abandoned. The second game at Hamilton on 25 July would be the opportunity to prove this theory.