Rugby visas decision for caucus

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33777, 25 February 1975, Page 1

Rugby visas decision for caucus

New Zealand Press Associatii-n)

WELLINGTON, February 24. The Government will reject visa applications from the South African Diggers Rugby Club unless the Labour Party caucus decides at its meeting on Thursday to change the Government's policy on sporting contacts with South Africa.

The Acting Prime' Minister (Mr Tizard) said today that under existing policy, visas would not he granted to representatives of a sporting code which practised apartheid on any level. Mr Tizard said the caucus! had an open agenda, and the issue could be raised without notice, but he told a ques-! tioner that he did not know if any Government M.P. in-

(tended to raise the contro- ■ versial issue. i Until after the caucus meet, mg, there was still a possibility that the Government's 'policy on sporting exchanges 'could be revised, he said But if no change were made, he would recommend to the Ministers of Immigration (Mr Coleman) and Internal Affairs (Mr May) that visas for the Johannesburg i club -be refused. The Diggers were invited to tour New Zealand by the Petone Rugby Club. They applied for visas through the British Consulate in Johannesburg in January. Their tour is scheduled to begin next month. The Petone club toured South Africa last year.