Fiji Govt rebuffs feeler on rugby tour of Sth Africa

Press, 8 July 1976, Page 6

Fiji Govt rebuffs feeler on rugby tour of Sth Africa

The Fiji Government would not allow a Fijian rugby team to tour South Africa in response to an invitation, the Minister for Sport (Mr Peniame Naqasima) indicated last evening. “Fiji would not play sport with any country which practised apartheid,” Mr Naqasima said, commenting on a report that the South African Rugby Federation’s president (Mr Cuthbert Loriston) had said that Fiji would be invited to make a rugby tour. T. P. McLean, writing yesterday from Cape Town, said that “with what might become a bold move towards integrated rugby,” the federation, which controls the game in South Africa for the Coloureds, intended to invite Fiji to make a 12-match tour of South Africa as early as next year. The federation’s president, Mr Loriston, said he had the approval in principle of the

Minister of Sport (Dr Piet Koomhof) and the president of the South African Rugby: Board (Dr Danie Craven), to offer an invitation to the Fijians, McLean said. Mr Loriston envisaged a 12-match tour divided equally among Coloureds, Africans, and whites. Today’s match by the federation’s team against the All Blacks was the seventh the federation had been allocated by. the board. “One match per tour is not enough for our players," Mr : Loriston said. “Now that it j has been shown that the I world won’t come to an end : because Coloured players play on the same field with whites, it’s time to move for,ward towards full integration. | “I am not talking about Dr Craven or the Government when I say it is time ordinary ’white players realised this is la perfectly natural and norimal thing,” Mr Loriston said.

“We cannot dawdle in the shallows any longer We must launch out and swim in the main stream.” Mr Loriston said that the federation could not invite overseas teams and expect them to be content with meagre facilities available to Coloured players. “If the Fijian tour came off. matches against the Proteas would have to be played on white fields, and this could cause problems.” he said “But we have the good will of Drs Koomhof and Craven; and if I have anything to do with it, the Fijian tour will occur as early as next year ’ Mr Loriston said. The chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union (Mr Barry Sweetman) said that no invitation had yet been received from South Africa, and if one did come it would be up to the union’s executive to make a decision about it.