MAORI ISSUE STILL CONFUSED Vorster Statement No Guide To N.Z. Rugby Officials

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31345, 15 April 1967, Page 15

MAORI ISSUE STILL CONFUSED Vorster Statement No Guide To N.Z. Rugby Officials

(By Our Rugby Reporter)

WELLINGTON.

The absence of any communication from the South African Rugby Board regarding the statements made by Mr Vorster on the lifting of restrictions on non-whites playing sport in South Africa, is being interpreted in Rugby circles as “no change” in the position regarding Maoris.

This silence from the South African board allied with the qualifications Mr Vorster added to his statement on Wednesday, subdued the initial enthusiasm felt at the annual meeting of the New Zealand union this week.

The chairman of the council, Mr T. C. Morrison, said yesterday: “It is still not clear where the New Zealand Rugby Union stands on this matter.

“The reports that have come from South Africa have not been entirely clear. We will not know the official position until we hear from the South African Rugby Board

and we have received nothing from them yet.” Asked if the New Zealand union had changed its policy about a team touring South Africa, Mr Morrison said: “There has been no change. Our policy remains that only a fully representative team will go.” The feeling among Rugby administrators is that while Mr Vorster mentioned Rugby in his statement he did not come out and say that Maoris could be included. This has been interpreted as meaning that the situation is exactly the same as it was in 1965 when Dr. Verwoerd categorically stated that Maoris could not be included in an All Black team. Other Ministers—the Minister of Sport (Mr F. Waring) and the Minister of the Interior (Mr P. Le Roux)—recently have said the same thing. So far, there has been nd official retraction of Mr Waring’s strong statement made three weeks ago that

Maoris were not welcome as Rugby players. The fact that non-white tennis and golf players, or even cricketers, will be allowed to play against South Africans in South Africa is not regarded by New Zealand Rugby officials as having any significance to the ban on Maoris.

It is the physical contact sports, such as Rugby, between whites and non-whites, that face the greatest opposition from the South African Government There is no doubt that South Africa values its Rugby contact with New Zealand and Mr Vorster’s statements give some hope that Rugby matches between the two countries may be resumed. But until something more specific is said, New Zealand Rugby officials are taking the attitude that there has been no major change in the existing situation. In fact, some feel that Mr Vorster’s decision to allow coloured golfers and tennis players to play in South Africa must strengthen New Zealand’s resolution not to make a Rugby tour without Maoris.

They believe the New Zealand public would not tolerate having Maoris excluded from Rugby teams on the grounds of colour while coloured tennis players and golfers were admitted.