S. Africans’ Rugby Tour Vetoed

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31153, 1 September 1966, Page 16

S. Africans’ Rugby Tour Vetoed

(N.Z. PA. Reuter —Copyright)

CAPETOWN. The South African Government has vetoed a plan to send a Rugby team of university students to tour Japan. Dr. Lquis Babrow, a former Springbok and member of the Western Province Rugby Union, had been arranging for the tour by Western Province university students. Dr. Babrow said that the Minister of the Interior, Dr. P. M. K. le Roux, had informed him the Government could not approve the tour. According to Dr. Babrow, the Minister said it was against Government policy for the team to go to Japan, as embarrassment might evenually be caused “both to the Japanese and ourselves.” The team was to have left by air for Tokyo on December 2. Japanese Rugby administrators would have paid the fares and other expenses. The Government ruling is puzzling because Japanese have been accorded "honorary” white status in this country and are exempted from the apartheid laws. The Secretary of the Interior Department, Mr G. du Preez, in an interview with the Johannesburg “Die Vader-

land,” said it was Government policy not to object to international matches between whites and non-whites out side South Africa. The students would not be a real international team. Perhaps more important, the visit of a South African student team to Japan could lead to a disruption of the present very friendly relations between the two countries, he said.