Rugby Union may lose Govt grant

Press, 25 September 1980, Page 1

Rugby Union may lose Govt grant

PA Wellington The Government will seriously consider cutting its funding of the Rugby Union if it proceeds vyith the planned 1981 Springbok tour, according to the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Highet) last evening. He made the statement after the Labour member of Parliament for Auckland Central (Mr R. W. Prebble) told Parliament that the Government was pouring $llO,OOO into the Coffers of the Rugby Union this financial year. Mr Highet confirmed Mr Prebble’s assertion that $lO,OOO of the sum was a direct grant to the Rugby Union through the Inter--1 nal Affairs Department, for coaching purposes. The remaining $lOO,OOO went into rugby through local body allocations under recreation and sport grants. “If the Rugby Union proceeds with the tour, we will certainly have to consider seriously the cutting off of Government funding,” Mr Highet said later. He said that if a cut of

funds was implemented, it would take the form of a dropping of the Internal Affairs grant next year, along with a recommendation to local authorities that sports and recreation grants were not to be given to rugby. In reply to a Parliamentary question yesterday, Mr Higher said that in the

last financial year, the Rugbv Union received a $lO,OOO subsidy towards the salary and expenses of its coaching executive officer. Under the local recreation and community development scheme, 191 rugby clubs or groups received grants or subsidies totalling $101,951 through their local authorities.