N.Z. invited to sports talks

Press, 28 July 1976, Page 3

N.Z. invited to sports talks

NZPA staff corres London The New Zealand Government is believed to be examining a tentative approach by Britain’s Minister of Sport (Mr Denis Howell) for a Commonwealth meeting on the future of international sport. Mr Howell last week sounded out the New Zealand High Commissioner to Britain (Mr D. J. Carter) on New Zealand’s attitude to such a meeting. Their meeting was dominated by the question of sports contacts in the light of the African boycott of the Olympic Games as a result of the All Blacks’ tour of South Africa. Mr Carter is believed to have sent to Wellington a full report of the discussion, for the attention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mr Taiboys). A spokesman for Mr Howell has confirmed that he had promised the Londonbased South African Nonracial Olympic Committee that he would “see what he could do” about trying to get support for a Commonwealth meeting on the issue of sports contacts with South Africa. The secretary' of the committee (Mr C. de Broglio), who first suggested the meeting to Mr Howell, has announced that he is also making an approach to the Prime Minister of Mauritius (Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam) who is visiting London. The latter is not only' one of the Commonwealth’s most respected senior statesman and a moderate, but is also chairman of the Organisation of African Unity (0.A.U.). The Mauritius High Commission has confirmed that Sir Seewoosagur would see Mr de Broglio. who was born in Mauritius, in the next few days. Sir Seewoosagur’s support for a meeting would carry immense weight, though a High Commission spokesman indicated that he did not intend to make any' immediate public statement on the sports issue. Mr de Broglio has said that the Commonwealth Games at Edmonton in 1978 are doomed

unless the black African nations and the “old Commonwealth” — New Zealand. Britain, Australia, and Canada —can reach agreement on sports ties with South Africa. Mr de Broglio said yesterday that he favoured a meeting of Commonwealth Ministers of Sport with representatives of national sports bodies. In New Zealand’s case, this would presumably include officials of the New Zealand Rugby Union as well as the Olympic and Commonwealth Games Committee. The spokesman for Mr Howell said yesterday that the meeting could be held in conjunction with next year’s Commonwealth heads of Government summit in London, or could be entirely separate. “I think we will first need to know what action, if any, the International Olympic Committee plans to take against the African nations that boycotted the Olympic Games,” he said. A meeting along the lines suggested would almost certainly be supported by the Commonwealth SecretaryGeneral (Mr Shridath Ramphal), who regards the sports ties issue as being a Commonwealth problem—between New Zealand and its black African colleagues. Mr Ramphal has already called for some kind of international conference to try to find a solution. He is now in Montreal, at the Olympic Games, but a spokesman for the Commonwealth Secretariat in London said Mr Ramphal would back any move that might help resolve the problem and save the next Commonwealth Games. Mr de Broglio yesterday offered what appeared to be feelers of peace towards New Zealand on behalf of his committee, which played a leading role in building tip African opposition to the All Black’s tour and the Montreal boycott. “The time for apportioning blame is over,” he told ithe N.Z.P.A. “What has hapjpened has happened. I think jeveryone now recognises That' something has to be done.”