Tour by Boks may be cut

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32587, 22 April 1971, Page 32

Tour by Boks may be cut

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY. Australian Rugby officials were yesterday reported to be considering plans to cut the coming Springbok tour almost in half because of anti-apartheid opposition.

The president of the New South Wales Rugby Union (Mr C. Eastes) said that a special meeting of Australian , Rugby Union delegates on Monday next would discuss proposals which might result in “revision of the tourists’ playing schedule.” Rugby commentators said that the proposals, discussed on Tuesday at a New South Wales Rugby Union executive meeting, advocated reducing the tour from the listed 13 matches to about seven or eight. The proposals suggested confining the tour to the major Australian Rugby states of New South Wales and Queensland, thus cutting out the three matches scheduled against Western Australia, South Australia, and . Victoria, and further, cutting out some of the country matches, leaving only the major matches in Sydney and Brisbane, and one country match at Orange in New South Wales. The Prime Minister of South Australia (Mr Dunstan) and Western Australia (Mr Tonkin) have both called for the cancellation of the Springbok tour, but Victoria’s Sir Henry Bolte has said he will support it The president of the Australian Rugby Union (Mr C. Blunt) said yesterday that the Springbok tour was “absolutely certain" to go head. “There is no possi-

bility that the A.R.U., anyway, will cancel it,” he said. He had not yet been advised of the proposals for cutting the tour, but agreed that they could be considered on Monday next. Asked whether he would support the reduction move, Mr Blunt said: “Perhaps I would not be against it if it is shown to be a good idea. If it means ensuring that the tour will go ahead, I will support it.”