Tour rumblings in US

Press, 28 October 1981, Page 30

Tour rumblings in US

The Springboks are back in South Africa, but their three-match American visit remains a matter of bitter controversy among United States rugby officials. The president of the United States Rugby Football Union, Mr David Chambers. confirmed that it had set up a one-man board of inquiry to investigate the tour arrangements, which were handled by its regional subsidiary. the Eastern Rugby Union.

He said there were two main issues: how the ERU obtained SUSSO.OOO from the South African Rugby Board, and how it spent the money; and how and why it changed the date of the unofficial test against the United States

national side, the Eagles.

“We were somewhat dissatisfied with the way the ERU handled the tour, and we are holding an internal investigation,” Mr Chambers told NZPA from Austin, Texas. “I don’t expect any sanctions against the Eastern Union, but it depends on their spirit of co-operation." He said the investigation was being conducted by the United States Union’s immediate past-president, Richard Moneymaker, of California.

Mr Chambers said the national uunion ' had authorised the ERU to manage the tour, “but in some areas they overstepped their bounds."

The ERU president, Tom

Selfridge, who was tour manager, has confirmed that he . accepted $50,000 from the South African board to cover tour costs. He agreed that the money did not go into the accounts of the ERU, but said, he- had handled it himself. The United States union, which knew nothing of this money, has said it must be regarded as a loan to be repaid. “We want to determine exactly the disposition of those funds and how they were acquired," Mr Chambers said. The -ERU’s decision to move the unofficial test forward a day to avoid demonstrations particularly rankled members of the national union.

Most of rhe union’s 16 directors. including Mr Chambers, had travelled to New York Slate to see the game. None of them did, because they were not advised of the change of plans. They showed their displeasure by boycotting the traditional end of tour dinner. keeping with them gifts which were to have been presented to both teams.

But Mr Chambers said the national union nad decided to award "cans" to the players of the American team. “We don’t see whj’ the players should be penalised," he said. Mr Selfridge has declined to comment on the USRFU investigation, saying it is an internal matter.