# 1976 New Zealand rugby union tour of South Africa

In 1976 the All Blacks toured South Africa, with the blessing of the then-newly elected New Zealand Prime Minister, Rob Muldoon. Twenty-five African nations, Afghanistan, Burma, Guyana, Iraq, Sri Lanka and Syria protested against this by boycotting the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. In their view the All Black tour gave tacit support to the apartheid regime in South Africa. The five Maori players on the tour, Bill Bush, Sid Going, Kent Lambert, Bill Osborne and Tane Norton, as well as ethnic-Samoan Bryan Williams, were offered honorary white status in South Africa. Bush asserts that he was deliberately provocative toward the apartheid regime while he was there.
The All Blacks achieved a record of 18 wins and 6 losses, and they lost the test series 3–1.

## Matches

Scores and results list New Zealand's points tally first.
| Opposing Team | For | Against | Date | Venue | Status |
| Border/North East Cape | 24 | 0 | 30 June 1976 | Border R.U. Ground, East London | Tour Match |
| Eastern Province | 28 | 15 | 3 July 1976 | Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth | Tour Match |
| South African Proteas | 25 | 3 | 7 July 1976 | Goodwood, Cape Town | Tour Match |
| SA Invitation XV | 31 | 24 | 10 July 1976 | Newlands, Cape Town | Tour Match |
| Boland | 42 | 6 | 14 July 1976 | Boland Stadium, Wellington (South Africa) | Tour Match |
| Western Province | 11 | 12 | 17 July 1976 | Newlands, Cape Town | Tour Match |
| SA Gazelles | 21 | 15 | 20 July 1976 | Boet Erasmus Stadium, Port Elizabeth | Tour Match |
| South Africa | 7 | 16 | 24 July 1976 | Kings Park, Durban | Test Match |
| Western Transvaal | 42 | 3 | 28 July 1976 | Olen Park, Potchefstroom | Tour Match |
| Transvaal | 12 | 10 | 31 July 1976 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | Tour Match |
| South African Universities | 21 | 9 | 4 August 1976 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | Tour Match |
| Eastern Transvaal | 26 | 12 | 7 August 1976 | Pam Brink Stadium, Springs | Tour Match |
| Orange Free State Country Invitation XV | 31 | 6 | 10 August 1976 | Welkom Ground, Welkom | Tour Match |
| South Africa | 15 | 9 | 14 August 1976 | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein | Test Match |
| Quagga-Barbarians | 32 | 31 | 18 August 1976 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | Tour Match |
| Northern Transvaal | 27 | 29 | 21 August 1976 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | Tour Match |
| Transvaal Country Invitation XV | 48 | 13 | 24 August 1976 | Witbank Ground, Witbank | Tour Match |
| Natal | 42 | 13 | 28 August 1976 | King's Park, Durban | Tour Match |
| Leopards | 31 | 0 | 31 August 1976 | Mdantsane, East London | Tour Match |
| South Africa | 10 | 15 | 4 September 1976 | Newlands, Cape Town | Test Match |
| NW Cape Invitation XV | 34 | 17 | 6 September 1976 | Danie Kuys Stadium, Upington | Tour Match |
| Orange Free State | 10 | 15 | 11 September 1976 | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein | Tour Match |
| Griqualand West | 26 | 3 | 14 September 1976 | de Beers Stadium, Kimberley | Tour Match |
| South Africa | 14 | 15 | 18 September 1976 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | Test Match |

## Touring party

* Manager: Noel Stanley (Taranaki)
* Assistant Manager (and Coach): JJ Stewart (Wanganui)
* Captain: Andy Leslie
| Name | Position | Local Club | Province (NZRU) | Age (in 1976) | Height | Occupation | Caps |
| Kit Fawcett | Fullback | NZ Universities | Auckland | 22 | 6'1" | Student | – |
| Laurie Mains | Fullback | Southern | Otago | 30 | 5'11" | Land Agent | 4 |
| Grant Batty | Three-quarters | Otumoetai Cadets | Bay of Plenty | 24 | 5'5" | Manager | 10 |
| Terry Mitchell | Three-quarters | Linwood | Canterbury | 25 | 5'8" | Carpenter | – |
| Bill Osborne | Three-quarters | Kaierau | Wanganui | 20 | 5'9" | Stock agent | 1 |
| Neil Purvis | Three-quarters | Wanaka | Otago | 24 | 5'10" | Farmer | 1 |
| Bruce Robertson | Three-quarters | Ardmore College | Counties | 23 | 6'1" | Teacher | 10 |
| Bryan Williams | Three-quarters | Ponsonby | Auckland | 25 | 5'10" | Lawyer | 22 |
| Doug Bruce | Five-eighth | Oxford | Canterbury | 28 | 5'10" | Teacher | – |
| Lyn Jaffray | Five-eighth | Eastern | Otago | 25 | 5'10" | Lamb buyer | 3 |
| Joe Morgan | Five-eighth | Mid-Northern | North Auckland | 30 | 5'10" | Farmer | 2 |
| Duncan Robertson | Five-eighth | Zingari-Richmond | Otago | 29 | 5'10" | Builder | 6 |
| Lyn Davis | Scrum-half | Suburbs | Canterbury | 32 | 5'8" | Commercial grower | 1 |
| Sid Going | Scrum-half | Mid-Northern | North Auckland | 32 | 5'7" | Farmer | 22 |
| Andy Leslie | No. 8 | Petone | Wellington | 31 | 6'2" | Mercer | 6 |
| Alan Sutherland | No. 8 | Opawa | Marlborough | 31 | 6'3" | Shearer | 11 |
| Kevin Eveleigh | Flanker | Feilding | Manawatu | 28 | 6'0" | Farm contractor | – |
| Ian Kirkpatrick | Flanker | Ngapata | Poverty Bay | 29 | 6'3" | Farmer | 30 |
| Lawrie Knight | Flanker | Ngapata | Poverty Bay | 26 | 6'3" | Doctor | – |
| Ken Stewart | Flanker | Balfour | Southland | 23 | 6'0" | Farmer | 7 |
| Hamish Macdonald | Lock | Kaikohe | North Auckland | 28 | 6'3" | Farmer | 9 |
| Frank Oliver | Lock | Invercargill Marist | Southland | 27 | 6'3" | Tree Planter | – |
| Gary Seear | Lock | Southern | Otago | 24 | 6'5" | Draughtsman | – |
| Peter Whiting | Lock | Ponsonby | Auckland | 29 | 6'6" | Teacher | 16 |
| Billy Bush | Prop | Belfast | Canterbury | 27 | 6'1" | Commercial fisherman | 4 |
| Brad Johnstone | Prop | North Shore | Auckland | 25 | 6'3" | Builder | – |
| Kent Lambert | Prop | Technical College Old Boys | Manawatu | 24 | 5'11" | Shearer | 6 |
| Kerry Tanner | Prop | New Brighton | Canterbury | 29 | 6'2" | Publican | 6 |
| Graeme Crossman | Hooker | Eastern Districts | Bay of Plenty | 30 | 5'10" | Teacher | – |
| Tane Norton | Hooker | Linwood | Canterbury | 32 | 6'0" | Company representative | 19 |
| Perry Harris | Prop (tour replacement) | Te Kawau | Manawatu | 30 | 6'1" | Farmer | – |