All Blacks invited to S.A. named

Press, 4 July 1983, Page 9

All Blacks invited to S.A. named

NZPA London The seven All Blacks reported to have been invited to play in South Africa later this month were named yesterday by the London “Sunday Telegraph” newspaper. John Reason, the newspaper’s correspondent covering the Lions tour in New Zealand, said: “I now understand those invited to play are Dave Loveridge, Steven Pokere, and Bernie Fraser in the backs, and John Ashworth, Gary Knight, Gary Whetton, and Mark Shaw among the forwards.” Reason has been involved in passing on invitations to New Zealand journalists to attend the South African Rugby Board’s news media congress next month. Ashworth was unavailable

for comment last evening but last week he said he had not received an invitation. “I didn't think that those sorts of invitations came south of Cook Strait," he said then. Loveridge said from his Inglewood home last evening that he knew nothing of any invitation to go to South Africa. “I will definitely not be going there anyway,” he said. Fraser, a Wellington wing, said he had received a verbal invitation through the Wellington Rugby Union, but was undecided whether to go. He said he would not decline on moral grounds but was still thinking about the trip because of other rugby commitments and the

need to take time off work if he went. From Auckland last evening Fraser would not comment further on the report, except to say that the All Blacks had been told not to talk about whether they had received invitations to play in the game. Knight could not be reached for comment. Pokere, of Southland, confirmed that he had also had a verbal invitation. Pokere said he wanted to go but, like Fraser, was undecided because of family and sports commitments. Pokere said that players invited to South Africa had been asked by the rugby authorities to “keep it quiet.” Whetton could not be reached yesterday.