Guarded Rugby Reaction

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31343, 13 April 1967, Page 1

Guarded Rugby Reaction

(From Our Rugby Reporter; WELLINGTON, April 12. There was a guarded reaction today from members of the New Zealand Rugby Union council to the report from South Africa that Maoris might be included in AU Black teams to tour the Republic.

The first reports of Mr Vorster’s statement were debated at length in committee when the council met today before tomorrow's annual meeting of the New Zealand union. The general reaction among councillors was that nothing specific had been said and that the only sports really exempted were golf and tenThe chairman of the counejj, Mr T. C. Morrison, made the following statement after

the council had emerged from committee: “If the news means that future New Zealand teams to tour South Africa may include Maoris good enough to be selected, it will restore the contact between South Africa and New Zealand Rugby which is one of the great international sporting encounters.

“We await communication from the South African Rugby Board which is the body we negotiate with regarding tours between South Africa and New Zealand.” The absence of any communication from the South African Rugby Board today was interpreted by most Rugby officials that Mr Vorster’s statemen': had added nothing new to the question of Maoris being accepted in the All Blacks on a South African tour. It was felt that if the South African Government had given a green light, the New Zealand union would have been informed immedi-

ately by Dr. D. H. Craven, the president of the South African Rugby Board. It was noted by councillors that Mr Vorster had specifically referred to New Zealand and that there was some hope aroused in his remarks, but that also there were inaccuracies. He said that the South African Government had never told New Zealand the players it should select But memories of Dr. Verwoerd’s categorical refusal to allow Maoris to tour, which was made in 1965, were recalled by New Zealand Rugby officials.

It was because of this statement that the New Zealand union refused to accept the invitation from the South African board in 1965 for the 1967 tour.

Most members of the New Zealand union, including Mr Morrison, feel that nothing can be said until more precise statements concerning Maoris in All Black teams are made by the South African Government.