‘Architect of boycotts’

Press, 19 April 1982, Page 6

‘Architect of boycotts’

PA Auckland 'The president of the Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association! Mr Lance Cross, should resign if he could not support his .association’s condemnation of sports contact with South Africa, the Citizens Association for Racial Equality’s spokesman on sport, Mr Tom Newnham, said yesterday. He said Mr Cross had been the principal architect of an association policy “which constantly invokes international boycotts and threats of boycott against New Zealand athletes.” “For many years the association . has stubbornly refused to condemn or even criticise sporting contacts with . South Africa by New Zealand sports bodies, whether they are affiliated to it or not,” said Mr Newnham.

“In 1976 at Montreal, when African countries boycotted the Olympic Games because of the All Blacks’ tour of South Africa, Mr Cross told them—and the International Olympic Committee—that the Rugby Union was completely independent of its New Zealand association. Thus, the association had neither control nor jurisdiction of the union. “In fact, the Rugby Union at that time was a fully paidup member of the association. Not until May of the following year did it resign. “Mr Cross has called his policy one of ‘communication.’ In terms of the Gleneagles Agreement, it may more accurately be described as collaboration with apartheid sport.” Mr Newnham made public a two-page report which he has sent to Mr Sam Ram-

samy, chairman of the Lon-don-based South African Non-racial Olympic Committee. In the report, Mr Newnham said that in spite of repeated requests from many, quarters, the association had refused directly to condemn sporting exchanges with South Africa, “even' when these are maintained by its own affiliates.” ■ Mr Cross said last evening that his association had made clear its condemnation of sports contact with South Africa. Mr Cross, the president of the association and formerly its chairman, said he supported the • association’s moves. “As recently as the association’s annual meeting I said that the visit to South Africa by Rugby Union councillors showed insensitivity

and a lack of regard for other sports,” said Mr Cross, replying to Mr Newnham’s comments. “We have made our attitude very clear,” Mr Cross said. “Last year we called on all sports bodies, on all New Zealanders, to adhere to the Gleneagles Agreement. That was before the Springbok tour, so clearly the call was directed at the Rugby Union as well as everyone else.” Mr Cross also disputed Mr Newnham’s saying that the Rugby Union had been a member of the association until 1977, a year after the Montreal boycott which was prompted by the All Blacks’ tour of South Africa. The Rugby Union used to be a member, Mr Cross said, purely because it assisted with fund raising. But it withdrew its membership in the mid-19505, he said.