The hundred years' war : All Blacks vs Springboks / Jamie Wall.

Includes bibliographical references.

Introduction -- Part one: Building (Ether ; 1921: Drawing a colour line ; 1928: Not conquering heroes ; 1937: Prejudice removed? ; 1949: Whitewash ; 1956: Passing of the crown ; 1960: Open fire ; 1963: The other 'Springboks' ; 1965: We are one people)

Part two: Breaking (1970: The blood flows freely ; 1976: Tensions and tear gas ; 1981: The winter of our discontent ; 1986: Money talks)

Part three: Healing (1992: The Afrikaners' last stand ; 1994: Lend me your ears ; 1995: The World Cup ; 1996: Last chance to dance ; 1996: The Incomparables ; 1999: End of an era ; 2000: Out of the blocks ; 2002: Disgrace ; 2003: Speed bumps ; 2005: The ultimate honour ; 2009, 2010: Victorious de Villiers ; 2010: Breaking new ground ; 2010: Sorry is the hardest word ; 2013, 2014, 2015: The Ellis Park trilogy ; 2017: Horror to thriller ; 2018: Relic of hatred ; 2019: What should have been ; The generation game ; The results)

The All Blacks and the Springboks have the most fearsome and controversial rivalry in rugby. The Hundred Years' War is the story of the intense competition between the All Blacks and the Springboks over the past 100 years, the games they've played and the battles that have raged from parliaments to the streets. It's an examination of two cultures brought together by rugby, torn apart by racism, then brought back together to forge a new era of rivalry. There are heroes and villains on both sides, on and off the field. For every tale of battling the Boks on the highveld or in the mud of a New Zealand winter, there's one of political intrigue, injustice or cowardice. The events off the field have dramatically shaped those on it, as both the nations and the teams have undergone huge changes. The test matches played between the two sides defined both the Springboks and All Blacks. They have a saying in South Africa: 'You're not a real Springbok until you've played the All Blacks' - perhaps the greatest sign of respect an opposition side has ever paid the most successful team in the world. This is a history of the most brutal and relentless rugby ever played, and the century of bitter struggles that have come with it.