EFFECT ON RUGBY TOUR?

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32209, 30 January 1970, Page 15

EFFECT ON RUGBY TOUR?

(From Our Own Reporter) AUCKLAND.

The refusal of a visa to the Negro tennis player, A. Ashe, will have a disastrous effect on the planned All Black tour of South Africa this year, according to Mr D. Dell, a former United States Davis Cup manager and captain.

Mr Dell, who is Ashe’s personal attorney and manager, and who has been in Australia with Ashe and other American players, is now in Auckland for the Benson and Hedges New Zealand open tournament.

He described the refusal as “a terribly tragic day for tennis around the world,” and said that he was sickened and distressed by the news that Ashe had been refused entry to South Africa. “The game is the loser in this, but do you know somehow I don’t give a damn about South Africa. 1 care about Arthur Ashe the person. If we don’t make it with the Arthur Ashes of this world, we are not going to make it,” he said.

Mr Dell, who is a lawyer in New York, said that it was

obvious that South Africa had violated rule 30 of the International Lawn Tennis Federation’s code of conduct, and this surely meant that the nail had been driven in the coffin of South African sport as far as participation on the international field was concerned.

“Now South Africa has lost all its allies in the sporting world. There would be none left. They stand alone with no-one to help them,” he added.

The contention of the Minister of Sport (Mr F. Waring), that Ashe’s application for a visa was made for political reasons was described by Mr Dell as “unadulterated rubbish.”

“Ashe has not said one word on political matters in South Africa, except to state that the colour of a man's skin should not bar him from playing there. And it is a fact that all the leading white South African sportsmen have stated the same opinion but they have not been barred from their country, said Mr Dell.

South Africa’s refusal of a visa to Ashe showed it was determined to exclude nonwhite sportsmen on whatever

pretext, the secretary of the Citizens’ Association for Racial Equality (Mr T. O. Newnham), said yesterday. The reason given for excluding Ashe was that he had said he wanted to go to South Africa to “put a crack in the racist wall.” This was one of the reasons advanced by New Zealanders supporting the proposed 1970 All Black tour to that country, Mr Newnham said. “Those New Zealanders should know that ‘the thin edge of the wedge’ justification was unacceptable to South Africa and the reason for its excluding Ashe.” Mr Newnham said The refusal of a visa for Ashe justified C.A.R.E. in its stand. The national secretary of the Friends of South Africa (Mr A. V. Blake), said in reply it was hardly surprising that Ashe’s visa was refused, since he had made numerous attacks on the South African Government. Mr Blake is also chairman of the national executive of the Rhodesia Society. He condemned the efforts of C.A.R.E. to implicate the All Black Rugby players “in what was purely a political matter.”