McCORMICK INCIDENT All Blacks Told Not To Give Interviews

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32383, 24 August 1970, Page 14

McCORMICK INCIDENT All Blacks Told Not To Give Interviews

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) DURBAN. The team manager (Mr R. L. Burk), angry at statements credited to the full-back, W. F. McCormick, yesterday “gagged” the All Blacks for the remainder of the tour.

Mr Burk issued an ultimatum, “Don’t speak * to the press,” after the ( controversial McCormick I interview appeared both in New Zealand and ‘ South Africa. i Obituary J MR J. C. SCOULAR j A man whose voice was • well known to Canterbury’ farmers died suddenly in Christchurch on Saturday: evening. He was Mr James ; Crawford Scoular, who has been rural broadcaster with , the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation in Christ- . church. Mr Scoular was born at 1 Matakanui station in Central Otago in 1927. He attended Waitaki Boys’ High School and after leaving school worked for a firm of wholesalers in Dunedin for about two years. He then went farming at Milton, where he worked a mixed farming property for about three or four years. Mr Scoular joined the Broadcasting Corporation about 10 years ago and had been stationed in Christchurch ever since. He became well known to radio listeners as the voice behind the local part of the early afternoon session for fanners from Station 3YA, and also took part in farming television programmes. Outside his work one of his main interests was listening to classical music. He is survived by his wife and six children.

Mr Burk said: “There is a blanket ban on players speaking to the newspapers. We regard this interview as a gross breach of privilege. “We had a conference today and all the players have agreed that nothing more will be said to the newspapers.” The incident broke after the Afrikaans language newspaper, “Die Transvaler,” carried the McCormick interview on the Nomis affairs under a banner headline emblazoned across its front page. “Die Transvaler,” stating that the remarks had been made to a New Zealand journalist, quoted McCormick as saying he hit Nomis in the second test The article quoted McCormick: “I hit him but naturally I did not mean to knock his teeth out. That was just an accident The circumstances were dangerous for my team and Nomis had to be stopped.” McCormick was quoted as adding that he had to prevent Nomis from fielding the ball because if Nomis had got it

again, it would have "ended the All Blacks chances of winning.” The article said that McCormick would not give any excuses for his actions and said that in his imagination he pictured the Springbok wing pouncing on the ball and scoring under the posts. Mr Burk said last night that McCormick denied all of the statements attributed to - him. McCormick could not be spoken to because of the new ban on players making comments to the press. Mr Burk said: “Because of this unfortunate happening at this stage of the tour, no players will speak to the press again. “I regret that this should have happened. Until now the relationship with the touring press has been excellent.” The heading for the story in “Die Transvaler” was: "I had to stop him at any price.”