Salisbury Sports Club tournament in 1970 to be racially homogenous, this also applied to visiting squads. The South African government provoked overseas ire in 1968 when it refused entry to the England cricket team because its proposed tour party included Basil D'Oliveira, a Cape Coloured. Amid the ensuing scandal, Marylebone Cricket Club (which then governed English cricket) called off the tour. Two years later, a tour of England by the South Africa cricket team was cancelled by the English Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB) at a week's notice following public protests and immense pressure from the UK government. South Africa did not play another official
2012 England rugby union tour of South Africa was first such tour since South Africa had hosted New Zealand in 1996. England last toured South Africa in 2007 and played two test matches, losing both 58 – 10 and 55 – 22. The last time the two sides met was in 2010 at Twickenham, when the Springboks won 21 – 11, marking their seventh straight win against England. Leading up to this series, both nations had played each other 32 times. The Springboks had won 19 games, England 12, and one had been drawn. England's last win against the Springboks was in 2006, when they won 23 –