Maori tour of Wales

Press, 2 June 1982, Page 24

Maori tour of Wales

Sir, — Regarding the pro-, posed tour of Wales by a' Maori team (J. Smith, May 28), I suggest it would be a restriction on individual freedom if members of the Maori race were not able to represent their own people at rugby, sport or entertainment, etc. Individual rights was quoted by S.P.I.R. as an argument for last year's Springbok tour disaster. In New, Zealand we have a freedom of choice, not a rigid colour bar as practised in South Africa under apartheid laws — separate toilets, mixed marriages banned, no voting rights etc., which HART and C.A.R.E. have always strongly opposed, along with sporting boycotts. Remember the slogan, “No Maoris, no tour.” — Yours, etc., P. A. ROONEY. May 31, 1982.

Sir, — It is not my intention to waste the space of your newspaper or my time to reply in detail to the pedantic ramblings of your correspondent M. O’Neill (May 31), except to say ethnic origins have no bearing whatsoever on the selection of university, school,, or other teams mentioned by your correspondent. I reiterate that on the other hand a Maori team is selected on the basis of race, something to which the HART organisation is allegedly opposed, Their reaction to the

tour of Wales will surely indicate whether they are sincere in their views or whether theirs is a policy of selective opposition. — Yours, etc., J. SMITH. May 31,-1982.