Govt likely to give go-ahead to Robins

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34009, 25 November 1975, Page 34

Govt likely to give go-ahead to Robins

(New Zealand Press Association! WELLINGTON. Plans lo bring some leading South African cricketers to New Zealand as part of a touring team seem likeh to meet Government approval, according to a statement issued today by the Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mi Walding).

Mr Walding said he had received a letter from Derrick Robins, a well-known organiser of international cricket tours, asking whether South African players would he able to visit this country as members of an international team. Though he had not yet studied the proposal in detail, Mr Walding said: “My preliminary reaction is that if the cricketers in the team were invited as individuals, they would appear to come within the Government’s policy of restricting the entry to New Zealand of teams from sporting codes where apartheid is practised. “As I stated recently in relation to the visit of the South African cricketer, Barry Richards, individual sportsmen whose purpose is to play in competitions in an individual capacity and who do not represent any country or any club, organisation or group in that country, in which apartheid in any form is practised, will not be denied entry to New Zealand.” Mr Walding said the question therefore seemed to hinge on whether the South African members of the invited team were included in a personal capacity or as representatives of South African clubs or organisations. He reaffirmed the Government’s abhorrence, of apartheid.

“The Government is determined, in so far as it is able to control entry to this country, to follow the recent call

lof the United Nations to all governments, sports bodies, land other organisations to irefrain trom all contacts with sports bodies established on the basis of apartheid, or racially selected sports teams from South Africa.” he |said. j Mr Robins, who is here jon holiday, said in Wellingjton yesterday, that the side [would include six of South Africa’s top players — Barry [Richards, Eddie Barlow, Graeme Pollock, Mike Proctor, Lee Irvine and Vince Van Der Byjl — plus one or two Bantus and a Coloured. Mr Robins has had talks with cricketing authorities throughout New Zealand, talks which he sees as being highly encouraging. “All the people 1 spoke to, in Auckland. Christchurch, Dunedin, and here, all were enthusiastic. “But it all depends on the Government’s attitude, and how a tour would fit in with

| your internal cricket itinerary. I "it can't be done over- | night.” : Mr Robins emphasised that he was on Mr Walding’s side with regard to apartheid: 1 agree with Mr Walding that teams must not be selected on any basis that involves apartheid. "And to pmve it. 1 have done the exact oppo.-ite to apartheid.

“1 have taken two multiracial teams to South Africa, from England—a mixture of English, Australians, a West Indian and a Pakistani. “They asked me back for a third tour, but I said no. “I told them there was no point to it—unless they also played a multi-racial team. And they did — a team of nine whites, one Bantu, and one Coloured. It was a tremendous success. “And a further step would be a multi-racial team to New Zealand "