Oxford Rugby With S.A. Team Criticised

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32114, 9 October 1969, Page 18

Oxford Rugby With S.A. Team Criticised

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) OXFORD! (England), Oct 8.

Heads of five Oxford colleges have protested against a match to be played between Oxford University Rugby Football Club and an all-white South African touring team on November 5. They objected to the match with a South African team “overtly selected according to principles of racial discrimination whose visit will be used for political purposes in the republic.” Their letter to the ViceChancellor, Mr Alan Bullock, master of St Catherine’s College, said that they feared a serious public misunderstanding if a side carrying the university name played an official South African team.

In his reply Mr Bullock said: “The match in no way implies that the university or

its members condone the principles of apartheid.” He said the university had never practised and did not approve of racial discrimination.

Mr Bullock said that the match had not been organised by or on behalf of the university.

The five heads who invited him to state publicly the university attitude to the match are: Sir Arthur Norrington, president of Trinity College, Lord Franks, provost of Worcester College, Mr Walter Oakeshott, rector Lincoln College, Sir Lindor Brown, principal of Hertford College and Sir Isaiah Berlin, president of Wolfson College.

Tourists Boaton. Scoring seven tries, five of them in the second spell, a University of Otago XV beat the touring Riverina (New South Walee) Rugby team, 29-11, at Dunedin yesterday.