The proposed Springbok rugby tour of New Zealand in 1973 is introduced as an issue which has stimulated great public interest and discussion. The issue is placed within the larger context of sport and its place within modern society and the relevant literature is reviewed. Measures of Conservatism and Dogmatism are briefly discussed. The overall research design is described, as are the pre-test questionnaire and its evaluation, the accompanying letter, the sampling method and the procedure for

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... rocessing the questionnaire. Cross tabulation and Multiple Discriminant Function Analyses are used to analyse results obtained from the five hundred and thirty four usable returns. Groups of respondents for the tour and against the tour are shown to be dissimilar to each other on a number of biographical information categories and personality measures, in relation to the forty two tour statements, and the six questions taken from a previous opinion poll. Some comments are made upon the social implications of the obtained results. The research report concludes with an assessment of the manner in which the aims of this research have been met.