“APARTHEID IN SPORT”

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28742, 13 November 1958, Page 7

“APARTHEID IN SPORT”

Asian Interest Aroused

"Is New Zealand going to accept apartheid in sport?” .was a question asked many times to the Rev. A. A. Brash, secretary of the East Asia Christian Conference during his recent tour of seven Asian countries. Asian people, and especially their leaders, regarded the issue as an important one and not as a small matter of expediency as it might be regarded in New Zealand, he said. “By and large Asians know little of New Zealand but one thing they all seem to know is that this country while having a fairly strict practice in regard to immigration has preserved the principle of absolute racial equality among its own people," said Mr Brash. The issue about the 1960 All Blacks and the possible exclusion of Maori players had been noted in many places and the question of what New Zealand intended to do about the matter had been asked on many occasions, he said. "Naturally I could not say. But what I very much want to say on returning home is this: Let those who make the decision about the racial composition of our 1960 team be aware that their decision will be noted by Asian people in many countries. Diplomatic Post

"The appointment of a Maori to a high diplomatic post in Asia is certainly welcomed.” he said. “The fact that the National Council of Churches has nominated a man of each race to represent New Zealand at the all-Asia conference in Malaya next May is important.

"But for the people as a whole the decision that must be made as to whether in practice we will agree to a policy of apartheid in Rugby may be more important than either of these appointments.” said Mr Brash. "If a wrong decision is made it would convince countless Asian people that after all there is no place where dark-skinned peoples are treated justly, whereas they had understood that in New Zealand it was so,” he said.