New Zealand at the 1976 Summer Olympics New Zealand at the 1976 Summer Olympics New Zealand competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The New Zealand Olympic Committee was represented by 80 athletes, 71 men and 9 women, and 29 officials. The flag bearer at the opening ceremony was wrestler David Aspin. In protest at a tour of South Africa by the All Blacks team early in the year, Congo's official Jean Claude Ganga led a boycott of 28 African nations as the International Olympic Committee refused to bar the New Zealand team. Some of the nations (including Morocco, Cameroon and Egypt) had already
South Africa national rugby union team boost by the early Lions tours, which created great interest in the South African press. South Africa would not lose another series—home or away—until 1956. The first South African team to tour the British Isles and France occurred during 1906–07. The team played tests against all four Home Nations. England managed a draw, but Scotland was the only one of the Home unions to gain a victory. The trip instilled a sense of national pride among South Africans. The South Africans played an unofficial match against a 'France' team while the official French team were in England; the Springboks won