Sportsmen enter campaign

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34009, 25 November 1975, Page 1

Sportsmen enter campaign

Tane Norton, the All Blacks’ hooker in 18 consecutive internationals and captain of the New Zealand Maori team, has been left out of the “Rugby men for Rob” group. The group, most of whom say they deplore the "intrusion” of politics in sport, have entered the political campaign mainly because of Mr Muldoon’s pledge to allow free sports exchanges, including allowing South African Rugby teams to tour New Zealand.

Norton said yesterday that the “Rugby men for Rob” had not asked him to join. "In any case, I don’t feel like putting my name to it,” he said. “I would rather see the whole thing kept out of sport. “And I will make my decision on Saturday.” Colin Meads, lan Kirkpatrick, Bryan Williams, Grant Batty, as well as the golfer, Stuart Jones, who is at present in South Africa, and the chairman of the Lawn Tennis

Association (Mr I. D. Wells) have all said they support Mr Muldoon.

Fergie McCormick, the former All Black full-back and holder of the world record for most points in a Rugby international, has aligned himself with the group. McCormick said he supported the policy of no political interference in sport. “They just don’t mix.” “We need a man of strong will in that position,” McCormick said, referring to the Prime Ministership. “He (Mr Muldoon) seems to know what he is about in the economic field.”