French rugby mediator

Press, 18 November 1982, Page 40

French rugby mediator

NZPA London The French Rugby Federation president, Albert Ferrasse, will act as a mediator to help bring Argentina back into the rugby community " after the Falklands war, the “Daily Mail” reported yesterday. Argentina, at present touring France, was anxious to resume relations with the four home countries, said the paper’s rugby writer, Terry O’Connor.

The captain, Hugo Porta, was quoted as saying: “We gained our rugby heritage from England and this does not end because of a political difference.”

Mr Carl Tozzi, a senior

vice-president of the Argentine Rugby Union, said he was confident normal contacts would be resumed with all the main rugby countries after the promise of French support. “We received an invitation from New Zealand to take part in a tournament in their country last month, but could not accept because of our French tour,” he told O’Connor in Toulouse. “New Zealand has indicated that it will visit us as arranged next year and Wales is due to come in 1984.”

The Welsh Rugby Union secretary, Ray Williams, said yesterday that the 1984 tour had been discussed briefly

but no decision had yet been made: “The Welsh Guards lost a lot of men in the Falklands war,” he said. “There are two issues: One is the. reaction of the Welsh K”ic, and the other is the of reaction the WelshBritish players might get in Argentina. “It would be quite wrong to subject them to the possibility of hostile demonstrations.

“As far as we’re concerned the tour still stands but it would have to be closely looked at,’’ Mr Williams said.

No visits by the Pumas to Britain have been arranged but Ireland is due in Argentina in 1985.