# 1949 New Zealand rugby union tour of South Africa

1949 saw the second full tour of South Africa by a representative New Zealand rugby union team (the New Zealand national rugby union team). The All Blacks achieved a record of 13 wins, 7 losses and 4 draws, and they lost the test series 4–0.

## Non-selection of Māori players

As they had in 1928 and would do again in 1960, the New Zealand union left Māori players out of the 30-man tour squad to meet apartheid conditions set by South Africa. Particularly notable omissions were "Johnny Smith, Ben Couch and Vincent Bevan... All three (and Ron Bryers) would surely have otherwise gone to South Africa." Smith's official All Black profile now acknowledges "the unforgivable weakness shown by New Zealand rugby".
Kiwi Blake (who was of African American heritage but played for the Māori All Blacks) is quoted as saying that after a trial match he, Bevan and Smith were told by a selector that "If you had been eligible, you would have all gone". Researcher and historian Malcolm Mulholland wrote the All Blacks captain Fred Allen "later mourned the loss of Smith and, in particular, Bevan...as one of the main reasons for the All Blacks' four-nil series drubbing". The squad that did go refused to perform the traditional haka before any match on the tour in protest with Jim Parker citing: "The war cry is a creation of the Māoris and as we have no Māoris with us we are not giving the war cry."
In 2010 the rugby unions of New Zealand and South Africa, and the South African government, apologised for this selection policy which was implemented at the South Africans' request by the NZRFU, which at the time had said that it "did not want to subject them [i.e. Māori] to possible reprisals".
As this tour took place, a simultaneous Australia tour to New Zealand led to the unusual situation of two All Black tests on 3 September 1949, in Durban and Wellington. The All Blacks lost both. One reason for New Zealand affording the Australian series test status was to allow Māori players excluded from South Africa to earn caps.

## Matches

    Scores and results list New Zealand's points tally first.
| Opposing Team | For | Against | Date | Venue | Status |
| Western Province Universities | 11 | 9 | 31 May 1949 | Newlands, Cape Town | Tour Match |
| Boland | 8 | 5 | 4 June 1949 | Boland Stadium, Wellington | Tour Match |
| South Western Districts | 21 | 3 | 8 June 1949 | Oudtshoorn Ground, Oudtshoorn | Tour Match |
| Eastern Province | 6 | 3 | 11 June 1949 | Crusader Ground, Port Elizabeth | Tour Match |
| Border | 0 | 9 | 15 June 1949 | Recreation Ground, East London | Tour Match |
| Natal | 8 | 0 | 18 June 1949 | Kingsmead, Durban | Tour Match |
| Western Transvaal | 19 | 3 | 22 June 1949 | Olën Park, Potchefstroom | Tour Match |
| A Transvaal XV | 6 | 3 | 25 June 1949 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | Tour Match |
| Orange Free State | 9 | 9 | 29 June 1949 | Kroonstad Ground, Kroonstad | Tour Match |
| Eastern Transvaal | 5 | 6 | 2 July 1949 | PAM Brink Stadium, Springs | Tour Match |
| Western Province | 6 | 3 | 9 July 1949 | Newlands, Cape Town | Tour Match |
| South Africa | 11 | 15 | 16 July 1949 | Newlands, Cape Town | First Test |
| Transvaal | 13 | 3 | 23 July 1949 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | Tour Match |
| Rhodesia | 8 | 10 | 27 July 1949 | Hartsfield, Bulawayo | Tour Match |
| Rhodesia | 3 | 3 | 30 July 1949 | Old Hararians' Ground, Salisbury | Tour Match |
| Northern Transvaal | 6 | 3 | 6 August 1949 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | Tour Match |
| South Africa | 6 | 12 | 13 August 1949 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | Second Test |
| Northern Universities | 17 | 3 | 17 August 1949 | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria | Tour Match |
| Griqualand West | 8 | 6 | 20 August 1949 | De Beer's Stadium, Kimberley | Tour Match |
| North-Eastern Districts | 28 | 3 | 24 August 1949 | Aliwal North Ground, Aliwal North | Tour Match |
| Orange Free State | 14 | 9 | 27 August 1949 | Springbok Park, Bloemfontein | Tour Match |
| South Africa | 3 | 9 | 3 September 1949 | Kingsmead, Durban | Third Test |
| Border | 6 | 6 | 10 September 1949 | Recreation Ground, East London | Tour Match |
| South Africa | 8 | 11 | 17 September 1949 | Crusader Ground, Port Elizabeth | Fourth Test |
| Cape Town Clubs | 11 | 11 | 21 September 1949 | Newlands, Cape Town | Tour Match |