Chances of stopping Springbok tour said to be 60-40

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32486, 22 December 1970, Page 18

Chances of stopping Springbok tour said to be 60-40

<N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND. The chances of cancelling the Springbok Rugby tour of Australia next year are better than even, according to Mr J. Boyce, an Australian international Rugby player and foundation member of the Campaign Against Racism in Sport in Australia. Mr Boyce, in Auckland to attend a wedding said yesterday that the specific purpose of the campaign was to have the Springbok tour stopped, He considered their chances

of success of the campaign to be 60-40. A member of the Wallaby team to tour South Africa in 1963, Mr Boyce said that many people were not aware how sporting contacts with Australia and other countries were being used by South African bodies. Associated with Mr Boyce ate six other members of the; same team. “I think we are having quite an effect. Several persons have reconsidered their opinion, Mr Boyce said. “We are not looking for Government sanctions on sporting bodies. We want to

express our opinion througji the Rugby union. ■, “While looking at South Africa, we can become more conscious of our own country. Australia’s record in this field is not a proud one. However, Australia is trying to do something about it. "The biggest difference between the campaign in Australia and our compaign,” said Mr T. O. Newnham, secretary of C.A.R.E., "is that the majority of their people are Wallabies whereas we don’t have All Blacks.”

Mr Newnham, who lunched with Mr Boyce today, will have further discussions with him later in the week.