South African tour policies

Press, 10 November 1978, Page 12

South African tour policies

The Prime Minister told his election campaign audience in Levin on Wednesday evening that he did not expect the New Zealand Rugby Union to invite a South African team to this country in 1980. Reminding his audience of the Government’s advice to sports bodies against playing racially segregated teams from South Africa, Mr Muldoon said: “I have confidence in the Rugby Union.”

This confidence may not be shared by all. or even most, New Zealanders and it may take more than the advice of a Government to persuade the Rugby Union that the implications of a tour by a white South African team would be bad for New Zealand, bad for rugby, and a poor influence in South African a flairs.

Others may agree that the Government should simply prohibit such a sports tour. If they do so. they may just as well urge the Government to exclude all national sports teams from countries whose political systems are in some way offensive or disagreeable. They may also support a Government that, for diplomatic reasons, excludes from entry to New Zealand, lecturers, students, politicians and others who want to speak here against Governments or policies in other countries. Those who want entry to New Zealand prohibited for such reasons should be consistent.

The Government has surely been mistaken in assuming that the presence here of political critics from abroad necessarily identifies New Zealand with their views. If it is wrong on this score, it is right on the South African sports question. For all that, world opinion is such that sports contacts with South Africa fall into a special class and must be resisted at Government level.

The Government has the power to refuse entry to a South African team, as the Kirk Government refused entry when considerations of law and order and international reputation became paramount in Mr Kirk's mind. Since

then the Gleneagles Agreement among Commonwealth countries has been made and it should be scrupulously observed.

Above all, the rugby clubs and local administrators should search their consciences on the subject, and it is to be hoped that they will let the New Zealand Rugby Union know quite clearly that a 1980 invitation is out of the question while the present policies prevail in South Africa.

New Zealanders generally may be reluctant to forgo the spectacle of fine rugby. The South African problem must outweigh this and rugby opinion should be clear not just to the Government, which should stand firmly by the Gleneagles Agreement, but to those who make the final decision.