A snub for Koornhof

Press, 12 October 1976, Page 1

A snub for Koornhof

NZPA Port Elizabeth

Nine whites, including an international cap, played in a multi-racial rugby match in Port Elizabeth on Sunday, in spite of warnings from the South African Sports Minister (Dr Koomhof). In a radio broadcast just before the match. Dr Koomhof said that the Government’s new policy on sport allowed meetings between teams of different races, but not between multi-raeial teams. The match was played in an African quarter of Port Elizabeth, and Mr Koomhof threatened punishment of the white players for entering a black zone without permission. He said they would be breaking the law.

More than 10.000 enthusiastic spectators turned up for the game.

which was played in an area where a few weeks ago there were bloody clashes between police and African demonstrators. The nine white players, distributed between the two teams, were playing for the first time with black teammates. The crowd swarmed on to the pitch after the match and chaired two of the white players. In another development, a planned meeting of the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa, to decide black Africa’s attitude towards the 1978 Commonwealth Games, has failed to materialise. An executive of the council, Mr John Kasyoka, of Kenya, said the meeting was to have taken place during the African table tennis championships a week ago.