Sport and apartheid

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34133, 21 April 1976, Page 14

Sport and apartheid

Sir, — The recent condemnation of New Zealand’s participation in sport with South Africa, and the threat by 29 nations of the African sports council to withdraw from the Olympic games in Montreal in 1976 if New Zealand continues to associate with apartheid South Africa, should not be taken lightly by the New Zealand Government. Clearly the eyes of the world wili be focused on New Zealand’s explicit support of apartheid policy in South Africa, and the occasion seems appropriate for New Zealand to withdraw from association with that country. It now seems obvious that sport and politics are unavoidably joined and New Zealand’s naive attempts to avoid this issue by continuing to play rugby with South Africa must stop. New Zealand must now withdraw from sports interaction with South

Africa and help prove to that country that apartheid cannot and must not be allowed to , continue. — Yours, etc., J. H. BRADBURY. Vancouver, B.C. April 11, 1976.

Sir, — The planned All Black tour of South Africa should be stopped on economic grounds. Your report tells of 2000 people following the tour at $3OOO each: total $6,000,000, just for fares. This country can not afford this extravagant expenditure on a tour to a country which supports an apartheid system. I can not see how people working on wages could afford such a trip, it must be the businessman with a few spare dollars. Mr Muldoon asks for wage restraint. Here is the result: some of the money saved is spent on this tour instead of being invested in more useful projects. — Yours, etc., M. F. COUGHLAN. April 16, 1976.