Rugby Union avoids political row

Press, 24 October 1978, Page 3

Rugby Union avoids political row

PA Wellington The New Zealand Rugby Union has avoided a political row by refusing to allow any of its players to play in special matches in South Africa next year. But the union’s chairman (Mr C. H. Blazey) said yesterday that political considerations were not the reason for declining an invitation from South Africa. Mr Blazey said the union had this year become worried about the increasing pressures put on players by scheduled fixtures, festival matches, and other commitments. Next year would be a particularly hard one for top players, he said. As well as the present tour of Britain, there would be a tour of Australia and the Pacific by the New Zealand Maoris, a short .All Black visit to Australia, a tour here by Argentina, and a home test series against Scotland. This pressure on the top players was the only reason for declining the invitation, Mr Blazey said. Last year, the union allowed some New Zealanders to play in special matches organised by the wealthy Northern Transvaal Rugby Union, but Mr Blazey said that the situation was different then.

“There was not such a full programme last year, and the concern about pressures on players has only arisen this year,” he said. This year’s invitation had been for a “considerable number” of New Zealand players. Mr Blazey would not say how many had been invited, or whether the Northern Transvaal union had named the players it wanted. Invitations had to be made through the national union and the South Africans had acted very correctly in this regard, Mr Biazey said. The political row had seemed imminent when it was reported from Swansea at the week-end that Northern Transvaal was seeking New Zealanders for the matches. Last year’s visit was one of the reasons why Nigeria withdrew from the Commonwealth Games at Edmonton this year. Sources in Swansea said that Northern Transvaal wanted a Southern Hemisphere team to play a series of matches there, according to a Press Association report. Australians, Fijians, and Argentinians were also being invited for the matches, probably next March or April.