Rugby row looming

Press, 23 October 1978, Page 4

Rugby row looming

Swansea NZPA staff correspondent New Zealand rugby players may be going to South Africa next year for another series of matches sponsored by the wealthy Northern Transvaal union. The plans, disclosed in Swansea, Wales, and apparently due to be made public soon, are certain to push New Zealand once more into a political row over sporting contacts with South Africa.

It was the All Black's tour of South Africa in 1976 that precipitated black Africa’s boycott of the Montreal Olympics and the visit to South Africa last year by several All Blacks — also at the expense of Northern Transvaal — partly led to Nigeria’s refusal to take part in this year’s Commonwealth Games. Sources in Swansea have told the N.Z.P.A. that as many as nine New Zea-

landers — most, but not all, All Blacks — have either been asked to play in South Africa, or are about to be asked.

The plan apparently is for a “Southern Hemisphere” team to play a series of matches in South Africa — starved of test rugby since the AU Blacks’ last visit.

Australians, Fijians and Argentinians are also being asked, the sources said.