Hywel Francis

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In the struggle to end South Africa 's brutal, 15 November 1969, would be a "seismic" day.

A peaceful demonstration against the visit of South Africa 's national rugby Team in Wales sent shock waves not only in the sporting world, But the politicians also.

The violence against demonstrators was branded the "Battle of Swansea ", hundreds injured and arrested.

But exactly 50 Years later, Siya Kolisi , the 2019 Rugby World Cup lifted In Japan .

- Pair in 1969 were even willing to consider this, let alone imagine, a black player as captain of the Springboks - the pride of the white South African community.

Nelson Mandela was already imprisoned, and spent five of his 27 years in a political system of institutional discrimination.

A Year earlier, England had canceled a cricket tour of South Africa after its.

demonstrators were determined to stop them in South Africa , cricket Players touring the UK in 1970 as South Africa rugby-Team - closed-black-and-player - pipeline to the UK, the protesters embarked on a campaign of disruption.

"I knew we were in for a tough time, But I had no idea how good it would be," said their Vice-captain Tommy Bedford .

"We had never had to deal with this kind of demonstrations in Our Country or in the sport, so I don't think it was a light tour.

"But I felt strongly That if these 30 men from the white South African community could go and see how things are elsewhere, you can go back and say, 'this is how things should be, Back Home '. "

Anti-Apartheid activist Peter Hain (holding microphone) has been branded a "traitor" by Some in the white community in South Africa under the leadership of Peter Hain , then a 19-Year -old students, and with The Help of the future Prime Minister Gordon Brown in Edinburgh, they were hell-bent on causing as much trouble, the South African cricket Players due to The Tour next Year would not even step foot in the United Kingdom.

The World was slowly Waking Up to The Horrors of Apartheid But was not listening to rugby.

"Honestly, it was a dialogue of the deaf between anti-Apartheid protesters, and Players and spectators," said Mr Hain, who is now a member of The House of Lords.

"We have tried to engage with you, to tell you, they were collaborators with the Most Evil and racist system in The World , But only thought we were the with your game - and you hated us for it. "

"He was a military-style operation," said Hywel Francis , The Police work on this day, demonstrations were held in at the opening of the games, Leicester and Newport, But The Game against Swansea was a turning point it would prove.

A protest in The City 's Civic Centre , went without a hitch - until March Helen's rugby ground came to The Gates of St. John.

"We all felt it was so important to show, But it was peaceful, and everyone was in a cheerful mood," recalls Mair Franz.

"But then there was a command of The Police , in the us, and push us all into the Sea Wall in front of The Grandstand .

"people were hysterical, to stop screaming for The Police , the press, because we couldn't breathe. Some of the boys climbed on The Wall and began to drag us to the top. "

Mair, Franz said, the scenes on this day were "terrible" in the ground, the cacophony of noise from the protest, had a depressing effect on the Players , the preparation for the - for Some - the biggest game of your life.

"would It be correct to say That I, as a captain, the rest of The Team to ignore by The Club and indeed rugby in General, chose the moral issue, a stance That said my daughters would not be happy with, if it happened today", Swansea skipper Stuart Davies.

"Morrie Evans, the coach and I were glad That usher the Players into the dressing room to try to calm them down, But The Noise of the protest was enormous.

"It was an eerie feeling on The Field of play during The Game That affect all of us and it would be correct to say That the Springboks were much distressed by The Experience . "

Many of the complaints were about the behaviour of the recently formed South Wales Police force on this day, " We asked ourselves, what the hell was going on," said Stuart Davies, The anti-Apartheid Movement has been accused of destroying the sport with politics.

However, early in the second half of the protesters to The Field en masse, to areas lying on the lawn put a stop stormed, The Game in passive defiance.

However, the brutality of the "vigilantes" - administrator hired by the Association to strengthen The Police -expense - headlines all over The World .

"Swansea was particularly evil and was a seismic event," said Mr grove.

"The demonstrators were thrown outside the playing field to the vigilantes, who were recruited from local clubs, to give you a real belting.

"I was shocked When I discovered a friend had a broken jaw and a woman demonstrator almost lost an Eye . "

demonstrators were thrown in to "limp" and not the physical resistance, Many of The Pitch were intruders, the evil rugby fans have been More Than injured 100 people, including 11 police officers.

the shock was demand, within a few days,

The former interior Minister and future Prime Minister James Callaghan held a short, cancel events, which was not liked by the people, would the slope of a "dangerous and slippery".

he, However, ordered a meeting of all the chief constables to discuss police work in the rest of The Tour .

Then-interior Minister, James Callaghan , The Role of the stewards criticised Helen on St ' s "Among The Questions to check I ask to what extent the stewards are helpful," Mr Callaghan told Parliament.

"It is clear That your behavior in Swansea caused a lot of public unrest. "

Major protests followed, and every game was played in an atmosphere of violence and heavy police work, But there was no repeat of Swansea violence.

eyewitnesses and future MP Hywel Francis said That what was happening in Swansea "not representative".

"Our protest was about a lot of the minds of the people at the time, But the violence grabbed the headlines, and the response has been over the decades," he said.

"It was from the beginning a consciousness, not only as a progressive people, of solidarity with The Black people, But of a global campaign against South Africa .

", What we did was very small, But we did what we could. Rugby is important, But it is not more important than Human Rights . "

Nelson Mandela elected President in 1994, the Year before South Africa witnessed the historic Rugby World Cup victory of Manchester and Aberdeen, large demonstrations during a match in Belfast was cancelled.

In London, the Springboks Team bus was even "kidnapped" by a protestor on The Morning of The Test against England.

"We spent all Our Time surrounded by police cordons and Barbed Wire , never mind That our bus hijacked," said Bedford.

"it was frightening for me, no one defended us. Our management was nothing to say, the [Home -trade unions] were barely say boo to a goose. Although it is not an easy Team to defend you could defend was The Right to be there. "

the Welsh anti-Apartheid claimed the Movement was "to block The Most effective" in The World at the time, in Spite of a news, The Fallout even reached Nelson Mandela 's prison on Robben Island , where the Springbok support of the prison guards were angry.

"you took it out, on the Nelson Mandela and his comrades But did not realize That in doing so, Mr grove said, talking to Something Special - there were thousands of people protesting for their freedom".

"He told me, it was a tremendous moral strengthening for very dark times for the anti-Apartheid Movement . "

Swansea 's captain, Stuart Davies admits, "no one remembers The Game " Tom Bedford also change suspected was in the air.

"On our Last Night in Wales, I thought it will be very difficult for future tours to be held, under such circumstances," he said.

"was My feeling, it's a political trip would be. But I was just rugby to play this wonderful game That has been stained. How could you approach and address this Problem?

"For me, it was a very difficult personal journey back to South Africa , I was in a lot of trouble in the end. "

Tommy Bedford (second from right), a vocal critic of the Apartheid regime in his homeland, His anti-Apartheid stance, which is suspected of, the premature end of his international career only two years later.

1970 South Africa cricket tour has been scrapped, the beginning of a worldwide boycott of South African teams and athletes in sports such as football, cricket and the Olympic games of the last 25 years would.

Bedford later defy his government by participating in the historic meeting in Dakar in 1987, with The Exiled African National Congress, The Foundations for a fundamental political change in South Africa and the eventual collapse of the Apartheid regime.

For those former anti-Apartheid demonstrators, it was an "emotional discharge" of their efforts.

apartheid, swansea, belfast, lord hain, south africa, aberdeen, gordon brown

Source of news: bbc.com