Sport and politics

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33917, 9 August 1975, Page 14

Sport and politics

Sir, —Are we to under-! stand that if South Africa (painted blacks white (and -got rid of all who refused to undergo the necessary con- 1 I formation) this would be an I acceptable end to “politics ini 'lsport” (and everything else)?! I:—Yours, etc., w.w. ,| August 8. 1975. , i , Sir, —“W.W.’s” question is irrelevant. The issue in South ! Africa is that racial discrim- , ination is written into the law. This is not the case in ■ Communist countries. Simi- ! larly, “The Walrus” misses , the point. No-one has any ' quarrel with voluntary segre- ! gation. It is involuntary \ segregation that raises the \ human rights issue.. The “racially” mixed teams he referred to were chosen from • separated “nations,” ,and then put together. The “mixed” team was thus be-! lieved to be unrepresenta-! tive. The “Walrus’s” redj (herring is, as usual, a “Red”' , | herring, reminiscent of McqCarthyism at its height.— II Yours, etc., . B.K.R. August 7, 1975. Sir, —Politics in sport is (best defined, for “W.W.’s”! benefit, by example, from New Zealand’s Rugby history ! with South Africa. The ex- ' elusion of Maoris from selec--1 tion to the All Black teams which toured South Africa in ■ 1928, 1949, and 1960 in de- ' ference to South Africa’s! notorious racist policies were shameful examples of politi-l ’leal interference in sport. The! proposed 1967 All Black tour: ! of South Africa was can-! •celled by the Holyoake Government under massive popular pressure when South! Africa’s Prime Minister categorically refused Maoris per-! mission to tour with the AIT (Blacks. A splendid example of rejecting political inter- ! ference in sport. Mr Kirk’s! cancellation of the 19731 . Springbok tour upon definite; , assurances from Dr Koorn-i ,|hof that the Springboks! !i would not be selected on merit regardless of race or i colour was another such ex-; ' ample. Does “The Walrus” ’ seriously contend that the' ! Springboks have never “played against New Zealand, as South Africa’s national' -team? —Yours, etc., M.C.H. August 7. 1975. Sir, —It seems “The Wai-: ;!rus” has forgotten Lewis! (Carroll's poem about his! imamesake. I suggest that he > reads it again. He will find, . that the same Walrus shed I .many tears in the name of! ■ humanity and so confused the issue. Or perhaps the , oysters were all part of a - Communist plot to wipe out ■ all walruses. —Yours, etc.. ALICE IN , WONDERLAND. August 7, 1975. s![This correspondence is now; l| closed. —Editor.]